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Betfair Big Interview: Roque Santa Cruz on his 'best ever season'

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We speak to Blackburn's Paraguayan forward, scorer of 21 goals so far in a superb campaign for Rovers

Roque, you've got 21 goals so far - how does that compare with what you were hoping for?

Yes, it's much better than I expected. When I arrived in England I was thinking that 12 or 15 goals would be fantastic. Since I got that many, I am just enjoying the games even more with no pressure on myself, and it just seems to happen that I keep scoring more. I think a lot of it is down to the team and the way they are always pulling everything out to get the results that we need.

Is it the best season you've ever had?

I think definitely. Once you start scoring goals the confidence comes out, and you feel sure you will get more every time you have a chance. But it is not just down to me. I'm very happy because the team is also still fighting for results and not complaining: 'Oh, this is a long season', and things like that. Everybody is still hoping we can qualify for Europe even if it is in the Inter Toto Cup and it's very nice to have the feeling that with two games we have the possibility to keep fighting for something.

Of course you were so close to beating Manchester United. You must wish you had those two points?

It's normal for every team that there are things that nearly happen. We've missed a lot of points in places where we should have won, so we need to just go with what we are doing now and get the next ones.

You have Derby at home next, that should be the chance to get more goals and points?

If it was only so easy! We know it will actually be a very hard game to win especially because everybody will be expecting us to do so. We need to play with the right mentality, knowing we have to win the game and not thinking that we have to look good and score lots of goals. We must put down the kind of game we've been playing the last time. Of course we want to score goals, but we will be happy with a win in whatever way it comes.

You've been playing with Jason Roberts up front recently. How's that gone?

It's good. I really enjoy it. That's taking nothing away from Benni McCarthy who is a great player to work alongside too. But Jason is so very strong. He has the talent to see the spaces, and also to see passes for somebody to score. He did that for me last week at Portsmouth when he made the chance for my goal and it's really fantastic to work with somebody like that

More than half of your goals - 13 of them - have been scored away from home. What's the secret to that?

There's no secret really, I think it is just the way things are going. I don't do anything different when we are playing away, it's just every chance I seem to get I am scoring. I don't seem to get too many chances, it's just that every one is going in. It's just a nice thing to have.

You spent eight years at Bayern Munich but didn't play all that much. Was that difficult?

I think those are just circumstances in life. I have been through a lot of unlucky things in my career. I had different injuries and things. But it seems since I've been in England I've had a time when everything has just been good, with no injuries, and it's a beautiful thing to keep scoring. It's just something that happens sometimes.

What's next for you - with so many goals your name is starting to be linked with some of the Champions League clubs?

Of course I see and hear those things but I haven't thought a lot of it through. The important thing for me is I'm very happy in Blackburn, and my family is also very happy. I have also got a manager who is behind myself. Okay, I haven't had many bad moments in this year, but I do feel that the manager has plenty of confidence in myself and that is also a very hard thing to find wherever you go. I haven't thought anything about my future, I'm just enjoying my time here.

Does it help that you've been at a very big club before at Bayern? Do you understand the phrase the grass is greener?

Yes I do. It's true, for any footballer you can see the way they feel and the way they play, and you can tell too the happiness they feel outside the club. I think you can see that with me. It shows in the way I play. There is no real need to change. I have my goals in life and my career but for the time I just want to enjoy these moments. Yes I want to win more titles and play in Europe, and to do this and that, but it is step by step and this is a big step in my career to do well here now. I just need to concentrate on that. I also feel that I owe Mark Hughes something. I'm not the kind of person who is always thinking about the things you choose in your life. I just go with the things that happen. I can look behind and know I made the right choice to come here and it is a good place to be.

Roque we've got a £50 bet for a favourite charity

I'll put it to my friend Jason Roberts and his work with his own charity (www.jasonrobertsfoundation.com). It's too late to say that Bayern Munich will win the German League, but perhaps I can back them at [2.34] to win away to Wolfsburg on Sunday to complete the title mathematically.