Bolton Wanderers boss Gary Megson believes midfielder Fabrice Muamba is now getting the recognition his form deserves.

The England Under-21 regular has been one of Wanderers' best performers this season and is starting to justify the £5million transfer fee his manager paid to sign him from Birmingham in the summer of 2008.

"People are finally starting to realise what he actually does. If you want someone to sit in front of your back four, you are not going to get much better," Megson told the Bolton Evening News.

"If you want somebody threading the ball through for penetrating runs, then there are other people who can do that. Fab was brought in for the qualities he is showing, and always shown.

"It's like with Kevin Davies - people are finally starting to applaud him for the way that he plays, not the tackles that he makes or the way he competes. People are looking at what is happening to him, because he doesn't half get some stick."