Wayne Rooney scored a penalty on his 500th English league appearance as his side Derby County drew 1-1 with Fulham.
The point keeps the London club in third place in the Championship, while Derby move up to 12th.
Fulham manager Scott Parker praised the contribution his former England teammate has made to Derby since joining from DC United:
“He’s had a massive impact since he’s been here, it’s no surprise Derby’s upturn in form has coincided with Wayne coming to the club.
“I have no doubt, I don’t know looking in from the outside, but when you bring in a player of Wayne Rooney’s calibre, you’re not just talking about his technique because that’s there for everyone to see. But you bring a player into the building that has a mentality of knowing what it is about and driving standards every single day and he’s probably scooping a few up along the way.
“That’s what you get and obviously at times tonight you see his quality as well. He’s had to adapt his game but you often find that the world-class players can do that. They understand they can’t do what they used to but they quickly work out and find a way to be effective and Wayne’s certainly done that.”
Derby manager Philip Cocu says the 34-year-old has been showing his versatility:
“Tonight Wayne played in a more forward position as a number 10. He showed great skill, great vision, technical ability and he’s important in all aspects tactically.
“He can adapt if any changes have to be made during the game and that’s always a pleasure for a manager or coach to have somebody who can do that. Also what he brings to the club, he helps the young players develop. He talks a lot to individuals, most of the days before training he’s in the coaches’ office to see how we work. He gives his input and his opinion so he knows exactly how we work."
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