Three wise men bring Wilson gifts
in. But I have be focused on what my club manager wants at Derby. It is important that you play weekin, weekout. “You feel fit, you hit a rhythm and you feel strong. “Hopefully it will stand me in good stead for going back to Liverpool.” Giggs is keen to give chances to his Welsh youngsters, including Bournemouth winger David Brooks, and is getting rewards. Wilson said: “Ryan has been great too, he has backed younger lads to come in and do a job for him. We have to take our fit to chances.” For the time being, Chelsea and England legend Lampard will be in charge of his short-term prospects.
“When you are playing for a manager who had a career like he had, you have to take as much as you can off him,” said Wilson. “When he is pulling you aside in training or any time he says something to you, then you have to take it on board and try to improve.
“If you watch Derby and the way we’re playing, we’re trying to pass the ball. Pass and move. That’s the way he wants us to play, the lads are buying into it. It’s a great education.”
Wilson got his chance to shine on the international stage as Bale missed Tuesday’s game through injury. And stunning though it was, it was not even his best goal this season.
That came at Old Trafford in September when the leftfooter found the same top corner from a 30-yard free-kick as Derby knocked Manchester United out of the League Cup. He endeared himself to Liverpool fans even more when celebrating his goal by holding five fingers up in reference to their five European Cups – then scored again in the penalty shoot-out for good measure.
“I enjoyed them both,” he said. “When you score for your country, no matter what type of goal it is, then it’s special. But then as a Liverpool fan to score at Old Trafford was also special. They’re both up there.
“I try to practise them a lot, after training, from different positions. It is important to have a couple of players good on dead balls. Bale is great.
“When Gareth is here, we stand back and watch him take them, he is that good. I’ll be putting my name forward but I think he is still at the front of the queue, and rightly so.
“You have your own technique when it comes to dead-ball situations, you see the players like Bale and Ronaldo, who try to get that movement, and then you have other players like Beckham when he was playing who have got that whip. It’s important to use the technique that you feel is most suited.”