Paul Ince may have been in charge of Blackburn Rovers for only three weeks, but the club's new manager is not afraid of taking a gamble. The news yesterday that Ince has offered Robbie Fowler a trial with a view to a permanent move if the former Liverpool and England striker proves his fitness during pre-season is one of the summer's more unexpected transfers, although it remains to be seen whether it turns out to be anything more than an old pals' act.

Ince and Fowler have been friends since their time playing together at Liverpool a decade ago, but while the Blackburn manager will maintain that there is nothing to be lost by running the rule over the 33-year-old forward during the club's pre-season tour to Germany, some fans may view it as a backward step after the vim and vigour injected into the squad by Mark Hughes, Ince's predecessor.

Fowler had been expected to agree a new one-year deal on a pay-as-you-play basis with Cardiff City, the Coca-Cola Championship club, before Blackburn's approach and the prospect of finishing his career in the Barclays Premier League turned his head.

While Peter Ridsdale, the Cardiff chairman, took a philosophical view of Fowler's decision to leave, many of the debt-ridden club's supporters could barely conceal their dismay at a player who earned about £1million, despite making only 16 appearances during an injury-plagued 12 months.

“He hardly played for us, yet took home a large sum of money on wages then dumped us when he got fit,” Vince Alm, the chairman of the Cardiff Supporters' Club, said. “The supporters feel he should have repaid us by staying at the club and reward our patience by scoring goals this season.”