Gerard Brophy is confident of playing an important part in Yorkshire’s immediate future – especially with Jonny Bairstow making a name for himself in England colours.

The 35-year-old wicketkeeper only made 20 first-team appearances during the most recent campaign, including seven LV= County Championship matches.

He was identified as Bairstow’s understudy with the gloves from the off and started the season well, with 177 against Worcestershire at New Road while playing as a specialist batsman.

Unfortunately, however, he was unable to maintain his form with the bat and was restricted to second-team cricket for large parts of the summer.

But now that Bairstow seems to have established himself in England’s limited-overs squads at least, Brophy can see more regular first-team cricket heading his way in 2012.

England will play 14 one-day internationals next summer, and South African-born Brophy said: “Jonny’s success works well for everybody.

“Obviously, it might give me a couple more years in the game. As long as I still enjoy playing, which I do, then I’m going to keep doing it.

“I’ve been lucky to have had a long career, which has been great, but I’m still a young guy at 35.

“If Jonny does play for England, Yorkshire are going to need me more than they have done over the last two years.”

Brophy could be a key man in the dressing room next year with his experience of playing Division Two cricket at Northamptonshire in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

But the former South Africa under-17s captain warned: “There’s a lot of good teams in the Second Division, and by no means is it going to be a case of ‘let’s rock up and we’ll win this’.”

For more information on the events left in Brophy’s benefit year, visit www.gerardbrophy2011.co.uk.