DORIAN Dervite insists age has not dulled the talents of Eidur Gudjohnsen and hopes Wanderers will gamble on offering him a contract.

Neil Lennon will take a close look at the 36-year-old former Barcelona and Chelsea striker this week in a behind-closed-doors friendly and he is also pencilled-in to play for the development squad against Middlesbrough in a week at the Macron Stadium.

After talks with chairman Phil Gartside on Friday, Gudjohnsen appears close to sealing a second spell with Wanderers, where he last played 14 years ago.

And he certainly has the backing of the dressing room, where former Spurs team-mate Dervite believes he could have made a difference in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Blackpool.

“He’s someone who would always be a benefit to us,” said the Frenchman. “We will see in a few weeks if he’s still with us, but I hope he will be.

“He’s a class player, I was with him at Spurs. He hasn’t changed much.

“One the ball he has vision, he’s clever, and I think he would be a good addition to the squad.”

“He’s always been good with the lads and he’s fitted in really well.

“He is a player who you can rely on when you play the ball to his feet. He has the final pass, the final touch. I think he’s still as good as he was.”

Fans chanted Gudjohnsen’s name at Bloomfield Road but will have to remain patient as Lennon refuses to make his decision on reputation alone.

But goalkeeper Andy Lonergan admits the glittering additions to his CV since leaving Bolton in 2000, which include the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, Spurs and Monaco, have made him a popular figure in the dressing room.

“He’s an absolute legend,” he said. “Just to say you train with him, irrespective of whether he signs or not.

“We all pick his brains, can’t stop asking questions about Barcelona.

“I coudln’t wait to test myself against him. We’ve had some good battles in training, even though he hasn’t scored many past me.

“But there’s more to him than finishing, he’s a great hold up player.

“I think he’d be a great asset. He raises everyone’s game.

“When you see someone who played for Barcelona, Chelsea, Tottenham and Monaco, that kind of quality rubs off on everyone.

“You want the lads thinking they’ve got to impress him. You certainly don’t want him looking at you and thinking ‘what are you doing playing here?’”