GARY Madine’s stunning strike in Denmark is proof he can come back to silence his critics, says Phil Parkinson.

The Wanderers boss praised his striker as a week of hard graft on the training ground was capped off with a 25-yard beauty against Helsingor on Saturday.

Madine endured all manner of problems last season, with injury eventually ruling him out from March onwards. But the 25-year-old has looked sharp since his return in pre-season and Parkinson hopes he can lead by example in a squad which is desperate to make up for last term’s failures.

“Gaz has worked hard this week, very hard, and it has done him a lot of good,” said the Whites boss. “Listen, everyone at the start of the season has a point to prove.

"I’m a new manager and I have to show what I can do, it is no different for me. After last year the players know they have something to prove to people as well, and they have to handle that.

“But it can’t happen right away. All they can do is apply themselves, as they have done this week, and then over a period of time improve their reputation within the club and with the supporters.

“Gaz has taken a good step forward on that with a great strike. And any striker will tell you, whether it’s pre-season or not, it’s valuable for your confidence to get a goal.

“If he keeps working hard for us, more of that will come.”

Jamie Proctor was another Wanderers striker on the scoresheet, producing a fine 90th-minute header to win the first competitive first-team game of the summer.

Parkinson also had words of praise for the man who created the goal, fellow new signing Chris Taylor.

“I think that’s a little glimpse of why we brought him here,” he said. “Chris is a bit behind at the moment and we’ve had to work a bit differently, do a bit more running with him and just used him for 20 minutes at the end. But he showed with that cross what a good player he is, and I was very pleased with him.

“It was a real moment of quality and a good finish from Procs (Proctor) too.”

Helsingor beat Dougie Freedman’s Nottingham Forest at this stage of last season and Parkinson was impressed at the standard of opposition.

More than anything, however, the Wanderers boss was delighted to chalk up a win in his first game in the dugout, particularly away from home.

“I don’t mind where a win comes from, it’s a habit and one we need to get into as a club,” he said.

“I am pleased we did win because Helsingor are a young, fit team who are slightly ahead of us in terms of their pre-season development. Other teams have come here at this stage of the season and had difficult games against them, so we knew what to expect.

“To be fair to them they kept going and made it very difficult. I thought the physicality of the lads was good and I am pleased the two strikers have scored.

“All in all, it was a good way to cap off an excellent week.”