Shay Given was a guest on the Football Show on Off the Ball on Thursday and was extolling the virtues of Wayne Rooney on his young Derby County teammates.
Given believes Wayne Rooney will make an excellent coach with his understanding of the game as evidenced by the columns in the Sunday Times, but the Donegal man hopes he waits a year or two before making the leap.
The former Manchester United forward sets a brilliant example to his teammates in training according to Given.
'If you see him train now," says Given of Wayne Rooney on the training paddock, "he's probably the first out there and the last in as well.
"I know people say that about a lot of players but genuinely he just wants to keep improving and become better."
The Wayne Rooney effect
The impact of Rooney's dedication has not gone unnoticed by the younger Derby players.
"What that does is it filters down through the team and the squad," according to Given.
"The young players are thinking 'if Wayne Rooney is out there practicing his finishing or practicing free kicks or practicing his delivery on set-pieces, then I'm not going in early. I'm going to go out after him.'
"He's had an amazing career and that's why, it's not by luck. You need the talent, of course you do, but it's not by being last out onto the pitch and first to leave, you have to work hard at it.
"He's done that throughout his career and for me as a coach now it's quite refreshing to see him out there wanting to borrow a keeper to do some extra finishing or do some set plays or get a keeper for free-kicks over the wall."
"One day we were doing kicking with the goalkeepers and he came over showed the young keeper how to kick the ball. so things like that, he's always wanting to help everyone he can.
"That's the person he is, he's very humble he wants to improve everybody and I think he gave the whole squad a really big lift."
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