Fulham Manager Roy Hodgson can be happy in the knowledge that he has probably rescued Damien Duff's career from going into freefall.
Duff's 75th-minute equaliser against Bolton was drilled home with his right foot and Hodgson is delighted with the form of the Republic of Ireland international since he rescued the 30-year-old from Newcastle for a fee reported to be in the region of £4million.
Hodgson was the manager of Blackburn between June 1997 and November 1998 and saw at first hand the enormous potential of the young winger, who moved to Chelsea for £17million in July 2003. Duff later joined Newcastle for £5m in July 2006, spending three years on Tyneside.
"I didn't follow him closely during those years he was at Newcastle because I was out of the country, all I know is when he left Chelsea to go to there for big money, he suffered quite a number of important injuries," said Hodgson.
"Whether suffering injuries is the same as losing your way is something I would contest. All I can say is that he is a better player than the one I worked with at Blackburn 12 years ago."