Bradford City can learn from Derbyshire like Hughes did with Vialli

The show of appreciation for the gifted Italian was heartfelt - he was a popular figure in football worldwide.

Vialli died last week aged 58 of pancreatic cancer. As a former team-mate, Mark Hughes will have felt his passing more than most.

And he paid a personal tribute by citing how his own game improved from working with the fellow striker.

Hughes was 32, a vastly-experienced and multi-decorated Premier League campaigner, when Vialli joined him at Chelsea in 1996.

But he still felt the benefits from Vialli's own experiences rubbing off.

The message that “you’re never too old to learn” is one Hughes feels should resonate in the Bantams dressing room today with the arrival of Matt Derbyshire.

Hughes can see Vadaine Oliver and Andy Cook, both battle-hardened strikers with many years behind them, learning off the 36-year-old in the coming months in the same way he once did from Vialli.

"I'd had a year at Chelsea and we'd done okay when the likes of Luca and Gianfranco Zola came, top level players,” said Hughes.

"Luca initially struggled because he was used to getting free-kicks from referees and he probably went down a little bit too easily. He was in and out of the team but he was still really professional whenever he played.

"I always used to admire his understanding of the game, his intelligence, the clever way he created space for himself and others.

"He'd come from the Italian league, which was more tactical than the Premier League at that stage and you could see why he played like he did.

“He was constantly creating little movements or getting into little pockets of space to affect the opposition.

"He was a top-level player and even better man and it was a pleasure to work with them.

"I'd predominantly been at Manchester United for the majority of my career but my three years there were really enlightening and I think that's why I enjoyed my time.

“There were so many different players who'd come from all over Europe from top teams and your eyes opened to different ways of doing things to what you thought was correct in the past.

“It made you sit up and take notice that there were alternatives to what you'd done all the time.

"It doesn't matter if you're 21 or 31, you've got to embrace that.”

Oliver can see what Derbyshire, who is likely to be involved for the first time in the travelling party to Wimbledon, will bring to the City attack and the squad in general.

"He's an experienced player who's had a great career and he can only add value,” said Oliver. “He's going to add goals to this squad.

Matt Derbyshire could be in the squad this weekend (Image: Bradford City FC)

"He brings a different element to myself and to Cooky and others.

"It's great to have him alongside us to learn from him and pick his brains and just have that little extra experience because it is quite a young squad we've got here. It's good to have his know-how.”

Oliver, like Hughes, understands the importance of watching those around him and constantly learning good habits.

The Bantams target man reckons Derbyshire, who made his senior debut 19 years ago, can help enhance his own game.

"Football's forever changing and you can always pick up things from other players. It's the best thing to do.

"If you're hard-headed and don't listen to others, you're never going to progress.

"That's the main thing for me - I always want to progress, to better myself.

"He's had a great career so if I can pick his brains on little things that have helped him throughout his career and add it to my game.

"If I see little movements he does that might get him half a yard, I'm going to try it myself."

Hughes will welcome the added competition for places up front as the season heads towards the business end.

It was a battle he was well used to as a player - and one he would usually win.

Even Vialli couldn’t budge him from the starting line-up at Stamford Bridge - at least, not until he took up the manager's role as well.

Hughes added: “I was a striker at Man United and every year there was talk they were buying a striker so I had to see quite a few off and it was a little bit like that at Chelsea as well.

"Quite possibly the intention was that Luca was going to play instead of me but as it panned out it ended up being myself and Zola and Luca had to bide his time.

"When he came to be the player-manager he was able to pick himself so I didn't get so many games! But I never resented that because I respected him as a man and a top, top player."

Hughes expects a constant fight for the shirt and wants to keep his players on their toes.

"That's the reality of being a professional footballer," he said.

"I wouldn't be doing my job if I let good players take other opportunities when possibly they could come here.

"So, if I feel I can improve I will always try and do that.

"You've always got to try and get better as a club. If you forgo those opportunities you're going to be left behind.

"As a player, you should embrace the challenge and think that if someone's coming in, ‘I've got to do a little bit better’. That was always my attitude."