ROVERS young gun Matt Derbyshire has personally thanked team-mate Robbie Savage for taking him under his wing at Ewood Park.

The 21-year-old enhanced his reputation as one of the Premier League's best up-and-coming English strikers with a superb winning goal for Rovers against Middlesbrough on Saturday.

And while Derbyshire savoured the limelight at the Riverside, the 2-1 opening day victory proved a terrific afternoon for Savage in his first league match for seven months.

The Welshman was back to his tigerish best in the Rovers engine room, banishing the memories of the broken leg he sustained against Watford in January.

Andre Ooijer also enjoyed his first Premier League outing since suffering a broken leg and Derbyshire was delighted to see them both back in action.

But the former Great Harwood marksman reserved special praise for Savage, revealing that the midfielder's influence has rubbed off on him.

"It's good to see the lads back that were injured last season," said Derbyshire. "Robbie was brilliant - he's a great character.

"He's really brought me on here, as a character around the club, and I would like to thank him for that.

"He's got great banter and he doesn't just lift me up, he lifts everyone up around the club, even the coaching staff, when we are having a bad day.

"You saw that on the pitch. Like any other player, he just does not like losing, he does not like going a goal down.

"He likes to be a leader on the pitch and he was magnificent."

Derbyshire has made the perfect start in his second full season at Rovers, his delightful Riverside winner adding to his strike against FK Vetra in the Intertoto Cup.

And now he is looking for a bigger slice of the action, despite fierce competition from experienced strikers Benni McCarthy, Jason Roberts and new boy Roque Santa Cruz.

Derbyshire added: "The goal didn't do me any harm.

"But if I keep working hard in training, and keep doing what I'm doing on the pitch, then the gaffer will see that and hopefully play me a few more times.

"It's always important to get off the mark in the Premier League.

"It was more important that the team won and if someone else had scored, I would have been equally as happy.

"But for me as a striker, I obviously want to be scoring. I would never take that goal away."