Warnock backs under-fire Olsson

Olsson could be the best

By Carla Hilton   Last updated: 26th November 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Warnock backs under-fire Olsson

Warnock: Support

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Blackburn defender Stephen Warnock has labelled team-mate Martin Olsson as a key figure in Rovers' league campaign.

Olsson was sent off after a number of challenges on Aaron Lennon in Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

The young Swede has been heavily criticised for his performance against Spurs which saw Rovers extend their winless run to eight matches in the league.

But Warnock believes the 20-year-old has much more to give and has backed his team-mate to bounce back from a disappointing weekend.

Advice

"I went to him and said to him, 'Keep your head up, it happens to the best players'," said Warnock, who was suspended for the Tottenham match.

"It has probably happened to everyone in the squad at some point in their career and you just have to recover from it as best you can and get on with it.

"It is tough for him but it will make him a better player in the long run."

Warnock was full of praise for his young team-mate, suggesting he could be 'one of the best left-backs in the Premier League'.

Fantastic

"I think he is a fantastic player and he is a lot younger than I was when I broke through," he added.

"He comes to me and asks for advice and I am more than happy to give him it because I believe he will be one of the best left-backs in the Premier League.

"It is unfortunate for the team we could not get the result (against Spurs) but I think in a few years' time he will look back on it and it will probably have changed his career a little bit.

"I felt for him. He's young and inexperienced and sometimes you can get a bit excited and get carried away."