Former Derby County midfielder Robbie Savage hopes Wayne Rooney can inspire the Rams to a top six finish despite their lowly position.

Phillip Cocu's side are yet to taste defeat since England's all-time top scorer arrived and they are also unbeaten in five across all competitions.

Yet, they still remain stuck in the bottom half of the Championship and they are eight points away from the play-offs.

However, speaking to Rams TV, Savage, who is now a pundit, revealed that they should be aiming high with the Manchester United legend in their ranks and feels he can be the catalyst for a positive end to the campaign.

"Wayne is a character and a great player, a legend of the game for what he has achieved for club and country. I hope he can inspire Derby to get on a run and if you can do that, anything can happen in the Championship. If that could happen, I think he would be a hero. Wayne Rooney at Derby County is just incredible.

"I hope Phillip Cocu takes Derby to the Premier League. It will be tough this year I think but what I will say having Wayne Rooney at the club is fantastic."

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The verdict

There's no doubt that Rooney will have a huge impact on Derby, both from his performances on the pitch and his influence off it.

And, we've already seen that, because Cocu's men have improved a lot in the past two weeks.

Having said that, it's going to be a huge ask to finish in the top six and right now this Derby squad looks weak in a few key areas but if those problems are solved before the window shuts, you can't rule it out. As Savage says, this is a hugely unpredictable league.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.