Fulham manager Scott Parker has delivered his thoughts on the impact Wayne Rooney has made on Derby County ahead of their Friday night clash at Pride Park.

The duo came up against eachother on numerous occasions in the Premier League and also played alongside side one another for England at Euro 2012.

So it is perhaps not too big a surprise that Parker was very complimentary of the Manchester United legend ahead of this one.

“He’s made a massive impact, I think you can see that, certainly in the way they’re playing,” he told his pre-match press conference on Thursday, reported by the club's official website.

“When you bring a player of Wayne’s calibre into your football club, he brings a certain mentality, as well as the quality he has as a footballer which we all know.

“I’m sure he’s bringing another dynamic which a team like Derby have probably never seen before."

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Fulham will be eager to bounce back to winning ways on Friday against the Rams after suffering a blow to their automatic promotion hopes last weekend.

Bottom-side Barnsley came to Craven Cottage for what looked set to be a routine win for the Whites, but instead Gerhard Struber's men walked away with a 3-0 win and all three points.

The Whites still remain just three points behind Leeds United, who sit in second place, so will not have given up hope just yet, although this Friday night seems crucial to their chances.

The verdict

If I were a Fulham fan I would not be too concerned with Rooney's presence and perhaps more concerned that my club are not focusing on the bigger picture.

Rooney may well play and he may play well, but Fulham are being very naive if they are focusing most of their attentions on just him.

This seems like it could be a defining game in the club's season. A win will put a lot of pressure on Leeds but lose and they could find themselves tumbling out of the race entirely.