Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is delighted with the impact of summer signing Damien Duff.

Duff was again on the scoresheet in their 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers.

Hodgson was the manager of Blackburn between June 1997 and November 1998 and saw at first hand the enormous potential of the young winger, who moved to Chelsea for £17million in July 2003. Duff later joined Newcastle for £5m in July 2006, spending three years on Tyneside.

"I didn't follow him closely during those years he was at Newcastle because I was out of the country, all I know is when he left Chelsea to go to there for big money, he suffered quite a number of important injuries," said Hodgson.

"Whether suffering injuries is the same as losing your way is something I would contest. All I can say is that he is a better player than the one I worked with at Blackburn 12 years ago.

"I thought he was an outstanding talent then and a very good player. But I think he is a better one today.

"Perception is important in football. The perception that he had lost his way or the injuries had taken their toll - these type of things permeate the world of football. People listen to them, people in my position probably had the same perception "Oh no, forget him he is a man of the past," but luckily I was not prepared to do that.

"What I saw of him playing for Newcastle last year, I thought I saw in him what I'd always seen."