LIFE was never meant to be this hard. Joining the world’s best league as Blackburn’s major summer signing, Vince Grella was on the cusp of a something big.

Some 16 months and just 20 Premier League starts later and Grella is still waiting for his English adventure to really take off, after a series of frustrating injuries leave him with everything still prove.

Rovers’ Australian international should anchor Rovers’ midfield in this afternoon’s visit of Stoke City, just his sixth start of the league campaign, as he continues his battle to win the Ewood faithful round.

His potential is there for all to see, with his tough-tackling no-nonsense approach suited to the English game, but having splashed out around £4million for his services from Torino, Rovers are desperate for more.

The 30-year-old is refusing to let the past get him down though and, for the moment, is determined just to savour every second he gets on the field.

Grella said: “I have never experienced these injuries before and that is the difficulty of it. It has been hard, and it makes it all so much better when I get back on the pitch. I enjoy it even more.

“To continually get yourself fit and then get injured again, it has been hard and frustrating. But I promised myself at the start of the season I wouldn’t get myself down if anything cropped up.

“I was determined just to enjoy my football when I am out there and that is what I am trying to do.”

With a lot his Rovers career so far spent in the treatment room and on the sidelines, Grella admits the disappointments have been hard to cope with.

But, as he focuses on the future, he admits a combination of the club’s potential and the faith they have shown in him only drives him on to establish himself on a more regular basis.

“Of course, you see what Sam Allardyce is building and see that there is an exciting future for this club,” he said. “It helps you through a little bit I suppose.

“Even the relationship that has been built with the people in the club. I think they see my frustrations and see how hard I am working. No-one thinks I am just having a holiday. Everybody has been helping me.

“That is why I take even more pride in being out there and enjoying it. It works both ways.

“I have seen in difficult times they will try and understand my point of view and frustrations and that is why I take a lot more pride and do get so upset when things don’t go my way.

“We should be looking upwards and we are. I think injury wise we are going well and I think we have to be looking to win these games and being really positive in our approach.”

With the summer’s World Cup on the horizon, Grella won’t be the only Premier League player who could be excused half an eye on South Africa - but he insists that is a long way from his thoughts.

“I am concentrating on Blackburn because sometimes you can think about too many things and not the basics right,” he said.

“I think the basics for me are staying injury free and playing as often as possible for Blackburn.

“That for me is the number one goal.

“I remember the lead up to the last World Cup there were a lot of distractions because we hadn’t been there before. It can affect your club football because you start thinking about the end of the season.

“I just want to enjoy my football and play well, get some good results. Finish the season on a high, get some good results and then you can go to the World Cup and perform.”

Grella and co will be led again tomorrow by assistant boss Neil McDonald, as Sam Allardyce recovers from an angioplasty, as Rovers look to make two wins from three in their manager’s absence.

McDonald had previously experienced being a manager at Carlisle and Grella believes one day the number one seat could be his again.

Grella said: “It is hard to say at this level. He is working with one of the best and a gentleman who has a big reputation and know a lot about football.

“So he is learning from the best. I think in football you need to build yourself up. In the Premier League you can’t just step in and take over but he is doing a really good job.

“He has a good feeling with his players and I think they are all a good sign for the future and a potential career as a manager in his own right.”