Derby County boss Phillip Cocu claimed Wayne Rooney played a pivotal role in his side’s shock FA Cup third-round win at Crystal Palace.
Chris Martin’s close-range strike gave the Championship side victory at Selhurst Park as Palace had captain Luka Milivojevic sent off.
Rooney was highly influential in the tie from a deep-lying midfield role.
“Rooney influenced the game a lot because you could see his experience,” Cocu said of the ex-England captain. “I think he did very good; he played a more controlled position.
“A big part of the success today is the combination between him and Tom Huddlestone — it was a pleasure to watch.”
The Rams weathered some early Palace pressure and seized the advantage with the opening goal from Martin just after the half-hour mark.
Jayden Bogle’s quick feet took him past Palace full-back Jairo Riedewald, and his cross was met by Martin, who stole in front of Gary Cahill and poked the ball past goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.
A deflected effort from Palace midfielder James McCarthy brought a smart reaction save out of Derby goalkeeper Kelle Roos shortly after half-time, while Bogle headed wide from a glorious position for Derby shortly after.
Milivojevic was dismissed after referee Michael Oliver consulted a pitchside monitor following a video assistant referee (VAR) check. The Palace captain had originally been shown a yellow card after a tussle with Derby midfielder Huddlestone. Derby could have added a second late on when Martyn Waghorn struck the post and Rooney then saw a low effort saved by Hennessey.
