Speed knows the value of Vaughan

While Charlie Adam has captured most of the headlines at Blackpool this season and attracted the attention of Liverpool and Tottenham, among others, the form of the 27-year-old former Crewe and Real Sociedad player has gone largely unrecognised.

However, Speed, speaking ahead of Tuesday night's Carling Nations Cup game against the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium, revealed he is well aware of the attributes of Vaughan and is hoping to benefit from them in the future.

The former Sheffield United boss, who will take charge of his country for the first time, recognised the "unsung hero" term.

He said: "Absolutely. I think Vaughany is quite happy with that. He is a great lad who keeps himself to himself. The limelight isn't something he craves but people in football know what a great season he is having. More importantly I'm sure Ian Holloway knows how important he is to him. He has done so well but his talent has always been there.

"He finds himself in a team fighting for each other and doing well, hopefully we can find the same."

Source: PA