Editing Robbie Savage (section)

===Blackburn Rovers===
In his first five months as a Blackburn player, Savage helped his new club to Premier League safety and reached the FA Cup Semi-final, a 3–0 loss to Arsenal in his homeland's [[Millennium Stadium]].

In March, Savage called an end to his international career after new manager [[John Toshack]] dropped him for a World Cup 2006 qualifying game against Austria.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4347199.stm |title=Savage announces Wales retirement |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 March 2005 |access-date=8 January 2008}}</ref> His feud with Toshack and the Welsh FA continued long into the 2005–06 season as Savage insisted he retired from international football only because Toshack told him he was not good enough to play for Wales.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4347821.stm |title=Savage launches attack on Toshack |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 March 2005 |access-date=29 October 2013}}</ref>

In [[2005–06 in English football|2005–06]], Savage was a regular performer for Blackburn, making 42 appearances and scoring once,<ref name=DerbyProfile>{{cite web|url=http://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10270~5753,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101184601/http://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0%2C%2C10270~5753%2C00.html |archive-date= 1 January 2011 |title=Profiles: Robbie Savage |publisher=Derby County FC |access-date=29 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> against former club Birmingham.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4906896.stm |title=Birmingham 2–1 Blackburn |publisher=BBC |date=19 April 2006 |access-date=24 October 2009 }}</ref> The following season, he scored against [[FC Red Bull Salzburg|Salzburg]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/5341296.stm |title=SV Salzburg 2–2 Blackburn |publisher=BBC |date=14 September 2006 |access-date=29 October 2013 |first=Chris |last=Bevan }}</ref> and [[Wisła Kraków]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6050946.stm |title=Wisla Krakow 1–2 Blackburn |publisher=BBC |date=19 October 2006 |access-date=29 October 2013 |first=John |last=May }}</ref> in Rovers' UEFA Cup campaign, but his season was cut short by a broken leg in January, which kept him out for the rest of the season.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6293089.stm |title=Savage suffers broken leg agony |publisher=BBC Sport |date=24 January 2007 |access-date=29 October 2013}}</ref>

During the [[2007–08 in English football|2007–08 season]], Savage endured further problems with his knee, suffering a knock in the 2–1 win at Spurs after being caught by [[Robbie Keane]]. Surgery was required which kept him out of the starting lineup for six weeks. Following the return of [[Steven Reid]] to the Rovers starting lineup and some good form by [[David Dunn]], he found it harder to get into the starting XI. Savage was well liked by the Blackburn fans and was given a standing ovation by a near capacity ground by the Rovers fans when he returned with Derby.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/blackburn-3-1-derby-727061 |title=Blackburn 3–1 Derby |work=Daily Mirror |date=4 May 2008 |access-date=29 October 2013}}</ref>

It was revealed by then Sunderland manager Roy Keane in his 2014 autobiography, that he had been given permission by Blackburn to sign Savage during the end of his time at Blackburn; however he was put off by Savage's "[[Whassup?|wazzupp]]" voicemail, with Keane describing his thoughts after hearing this as "I can't be fucking signing that".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/oct/07/roy-keane-abba-robbie-savage-ellis-short-pablo-counago|title=Roy Keane: 10 more gems, including Abba, Robbie Savage and Cork men|first=Daniel|last=Taylor|date=7 October 2014|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref>