According to The Sun, the striker, who was Warriors captain until being recently dropped from the national team by caretaker coach Norman Mapeza, will be offered a short term deal.
The report suggests that there had been doubts at Ewood Park over signing the hard working forward because of a long-standing knee problem. But Allardyce, after closely monitoring Mwaruwari for two weeks, is ready to give him his wish of ending his career in England.
Mwaruwari, 32, has been without a club after being off loaded by big spending Roberto Mancini at Manchester City. He was sent out on loan to Sunderland in January but failed to secure a place in Steve Bruce’s side with Darren Bent and Kenwyn Jones preferred ahead of him.
After being left out of the Warriors team, Mwaruwari was not amused by that decision as Mapeza’s reasoning was that the player was clubless. Most of the foreign based players have only just started playing competitive football.But the new contract would be a boost for the player who started his career with the University of Zimbabwe team as he looks to reclaim his place in the senior national team.
The Bulawayo born player told our sister publication, the Standard that he had three clubs that were interested in his signature but it looks like working under Allardyce interested him more as he was training with them for a fortnight with a contract yet to be offered.
Mwaruwari’s brightest moments in the English Premier League came under Harry Redknapp, then Portsmouth manager but now bossing Tottenham.
Redknapp signed him from France’s top flight club Auxerre upon advice from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
After an indifferent start to life in England, he regained his touch and was to attract interest from former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson at Eastlands where a spate of injuries haunted him.
Mapeza has since promised that the door was not closed on Mwaruwari, who was made captain of Zimbabwe by Charles Mhlauri.
Zimbabwe will travel to Monrovia for a date with Liberia in an African Cup of Nations qualifying encounter on September 4. — Staff Writer.