Last Updated: Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:23
Ian Holloway has praised Blackpool defender Shaun Barker for his professional attitude in training despite Derby's bid to sign him.
The Seasiders boss is well aware that the Rams are set to up their offer to near the £1million asking price for Barker in the coming days, but he is hopeful that the player will opt to stay at Bloomfield Road.
Holloway has been pleased with Barker's committed approach to pre-season training and the fact he has not been distracted by the speculation.
"Shaun needs to listen to me," Holloway told the Gazette
"He was fantastic in training, he is a fantastic lad - and you don't get them cheap and you don't get them easy.
"We've worked with him over the last few years to make him what he is now and he knows that.
"There is a great respect between me and between him, and him for the club.
"Somewhere along the line we are all going to benefit."
On whether Barker is happy to stay, he added: "I don't need to be assured that Shaun's happy. He has signed a contract and put very, very simply, he belongs to us.
"He is a very professional lad and he is going to play well for us - and he needs to play well right now because we have actually shown our hand and said 'yes, you can have him for X amount'.
"Now they haven't come back with that and if they don't, Shaun will have to deal with that because the length of contract is the key.
"If he'd let his contract run out he'd have probably gone by now because we wouldn't have had the power."