Wootton Maturity Admired

Rio Ferdinand has praised central defensive partner Scott Wootton for his maturity on the DHL tour.

The young stopper was promoted to the first-team squad for the first time after loan stints with Peterborough and Nottingham Forest last term and has not looked out of place alongside the Reds' tour skipper.

"I think he’s done really, really well," said Ferdinand. "He’s a young lad but he has quite a mature head on his shoulders. He reads the game well and he’s unfazed by playing in big stadiums and being on tour or around the first team.

"I think all the young lads have done well. It’s great for them to come in and get an opportunity to impress the manager and the coaching staff. There’s pressure, sure, but the ones who handle it best and show what they can do are the ones who will get the chance to come into the first-team dressing room a lot more during the season. This is a big opportunity for them and they have to grab it with both hands."