Steven Reid is hoping to make up for his heartbreak at missing this summer’s World Cup by helping Blackburn reach the Champions League.

Manager Mark Hughes’ side find themselves in the hunt for fourth place in the Barclays Premiership, just a year after a battle to avoid relegation.

Successive wins over Sunderland and Arsenal have thrust Rovers up to fifth in the table ahead of a crunch showdown with the team directly above them - Tottenham.

A third straight victory on Sunday would see Blackburn join Spurs on 46 points, leaving only the north London club’s superior goal difference separating the sides.

But with the way Rovers are playing at present, Reid sees no reason why they cannot topple Tottenham at White Hart Lane and go on to claim fourth, and with it a place in next season’s Champions League.

That would ease the bitterness still being felt by the fact he will not be at this summer’s World Cup with the Republic of Ireland after their failure to qualify.

"Maybe I can make up for that by helping the club claim a Champions League place," said Reid, who produced a starring role for Ireland in Wednesday’s 3-0 friendly win over Sweden at Lansdowne Road.

"If we get a result on Sunday against Tottenham, there is no reason why we can’t push for that fourth spot, even though it’s hard to believe we’re up to fifth at the moment.

"Going back a couple of weeks we were beaten by West Brom and Everton on the spin and it looked like we might have been out of it.

"But we’ve since had a couple of wins, and another one on Sunday, then that fourth spot will really be up for grabs. We might as well go for it and give it a go. The lads are playing with no fear and a lot of confidence."

The same can be said for Reid, which is one of the reasons Ireland manager Steve Staunton was singing his praises before the game, and the 24-year-old did not disappoint.

Even when switched to right-back late on as Staunton made changes, Reid maintained his level of performance.

It was only the third time in 17 internationals Reid has played the full 90 minutes, and now he is determined to make a starting place his own.

"I’ve been playing in midfield for Blackburn, doing well, and I think for the first time coming into the squad I was full of confidence," added Reid.

"I'm playing regularly, week in and week out, so there's no reason why I can't continue to break into the team and play in a few more games."

PA