HAVING waited patiently outside the Brockhall media room door for his manager to finish his press conference, Darragh Lenihan thought he might have got away with it.
No such luck.
Paul Lambert was ready to head down the stairs when he turned sharply on his heel and informed everyone in the room exactly what had happened in training that morning.
With obvious glee the Rovers boss explained how he had nutmegged the young midfielder he has clearly taken a shine to.
But, while Lenihan may have been schooled by a man 25 years his senior, he knows he has found the perfect person to learn from in the former Borussia Dortmund, Celtic and Scotland star.
Lambert operated in the same position as the Republic of Ireland Under-21 captain during a decorated playing career.
And Lenihan, who is in line to start this afternoon’s FA Cup fourth-round clash at Oxford United, is determined to draw on all of the Champions League winner’s experience.
He said: “The gaffer is someone to look up to.
“He’s achieved near enough everything in the game and I feel I can improve immensely by working with him and the rest of the coaching staff, Alan (Irvine, assistant manager) and Rob (Kelly, first-team coach), until the end of the season and become a better player next season.
“In training if I’ve made a mistake he will always pull me to the side and it’s the same with Alan and Rob. They’ll pull me to the one side and say where I need to be positional wise, or that I need to do things quicker.
“I find that helpful as I’m at a stage of my career where I’m still learning. I’m still a young player.
“I am willing and want to work hard at my game every day.”
That hard work has been recognised by Lambert who has either started Lenihan or brought him off the bench in Rovers’ past five matches.
That has done wonders for the 21-year-old’s confidence having been restricted to just one appearance this season before the Scot’s arrival in November.
“I do feel my chances have improved greatly under him, yes,” said Lenihan, who featured in the final three games of last season as an emergency centre-back, a role in which he once more proved adept during Rovers’ FA Cup third-round win at Newport County.
“Whether it’s been as a sub, or whether it’s starting, the confidence he has put in me has been great for me to improve my game.
“I’ve been involved in the past five games and that’s never happened before. It happened somewhat last year when I was involved in the last three games, but you could say that was because it was the end of the season and there wasn’t much to play for.
“But when I came on for my first game we were 1-0 down at Cardiff and it was a similar situation against QPR when we were 1-0 down. He showed belief in me and I was very happy with that.”
Lenihan’s appetite for first-team football was whetted during an impressive four-month loan spell at Oxford’s then League Two rivals Burton Albion last season.
And, having faced the U’s with the Brewers, he has made it clear that Rovers can ill-afford to under-estimate their giant-killing opponents this afternoon.
“We all know it’s going to be a difficult against Oxford, who are doing well in League Two and in the previous round knocked out a Premier League side in Swansea,” said Lenihan, whose 17 appearances for Burton last season earned him a League Two winner’s medal.
“It’s going to be a tough, competitive game and we’re going to have be at our best to beat them.
“We have to show them what we are good at and hopefully we’ll beat them and get to the next round.”
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