Derby County boss Philip Cocu admitted to using Wayne Rooney as a resource on Manchester United.

The Championship side are facing off against the Red Devils on Thursday in the FA Cup.

It is a chance for Rooney to play against his old club, having come back to the English game from MLS in January.

And Cocu admits to using the experienced attacker's United knowledge in the build up to the game.

"Of course Wayne is very important, and maybe even more so in this game because he knows Manchester United like no-one else," he told reporters.

"He knows the players, the level of performance, what is needed in those big games. So yes, it will be extremely important for us on Thursday."