Gerard Brophy has backed Yorkshire wicketkeeping rival Jonny Bairstow to "go all the way".

And the South African, who is currently the number one gloveman at Headingley, says he will do all he can to help the 21 year-old achieve his goal.

"If he settles down and has another good year, he'll be putting his hand up for all kinds of things," said Brophy, 34, who had ankle surgery earlier this winter.

"The way things are now, you've got to be a keeper who bats. You only to have to look at how Kieswetter is putting pressure on Matt Prior because of his batting.

"Jonny's a good, young talent. He's still got a bit to learn, but he's exceptional. If he works hard, there' nothing stopping him going all the way.

"My impression of it is that I'll help him and try to show him as much as I can because I've had a good career. I'm by no means finished, but I'm keen to help him.

"I've just signed a new two-year deal, and I think the idea is to bleed Jonny in over a period of time with the gloves."

Bairstow will be behind the sticks for tomorrow's two-day friendly against Derbyshire at the 3 Ws Oval in Barbados because Brophy is around a week away from full fitness after having the tendons in his right ankle cleaned up.

The former Northants man is hoping to be available to play some part in the latter stages of the tour having spent the last two days training with the squad.

He added: "I went over on it with about six weeks of last season left. We decided just to rest it for a couple of months. It was actually getting worse.

"The tendon in my ankle had badly deteriorated, so they basically tore it up, cleaned it up, then sewed it back together. It's still not 100 per cent but I hope towards next week I'll be able to start playing."