Derby County manager Wayne Rooney has admitted that Tom Lawrence could potentially lead the line for the club on a number of occasions this season due to the fact that his side currently lack options up-front.
The Wales international was utilised as a striker in yesterday's showdown with Luton Town at Pride Park and made a positive impression during this fixture as he opened the scoring in the 20th minute.
The Hatters levelled proceedings following the break as Fred Onyedinma netted his second goal of the season.
Derby regained the lead in the 60th minute as Jason Knight fired past Luton goalkeeper Simon Sluga.
Undeterred by this setback, Luton equalised in the closing stages of the clash as Elijah Adebayo headed home from close-range.
As a result of this draw, Derby closed the gap between them and safety to five points.
With his side set to face Coventry City on Saturday, it will be intriguing to see whether Rooney decides to use Lawrence as a striker or as a winger in this particular clash.
Making reference to the 27-year-old, the Rams boss has suggested that Lawrence could feature up-front again in the not too distant future as he possesses a great versatility.
Speaking to the Derby Telegraph, Rooney said: "Tom is a very good player, he can play different positions.
"He is a very clever player.
"He probably will have to [play up-front] throughout the season because of obviously our lack of striking options."
The Verdict
Whilst Derby are able to call upon the services of Colin Kazim-Richards and Sam Baldock, both of these strikers have struggled to deliver the goods on a consistent basis in the Championship for the club since moving to Pride Park.
Kazim-Richards has only scored eight goals in 42 league appearances for the Rams whilst Baldock has only managed to find the back of the net on one occasion this season.
Although Lawrence is more comfortable playing in a wide role due to the fact that he has featured in this particular position throughout his career, there is no reason why he cannot go on to produce some fantastic displays as a striker for Derby.
Having provided 77 direct goal contributions in 237 Championship appearances, the winger knows exactly what it takes to succeed at this level and thus he could potentially play a key role for the Rams as they aim to avoid relegation to League One next year.