DAVE McNabb is hopeful the visit of Wayne Rooney to training well help his Warrington Rylands side way beyond their FA Vase semi final this weekend.

Manchester United and England’s record goalscorer stopped by Gorsey Lane to observe Blues’ preparations for tomorrow’s clash with Walsall Wood and give them the benefit of his experience.

The winner of the game will face Binfield in the final at Wembley Stadium on May 22 and because of what is on offer, McNabb insists it will be “the hardest game of football we will have ever played.”

Win or lose, though, he wants his players to use Rooney’s insight to help them in their careers beyond this season.

“Tuesday was really good and the intensity was high. There was a massive amount of excitement and there was a bit of a zip about training as a result,” he said.

“Obviously, the cherry on the cake was Wayne turning up and giving us a bit of an insight into how he prepares for big games on the physical and mental side.

“I knew he was coming but none of the players did.

“It was a difficult one as to whether we should told the players so they could prepare their questions for him.

“When you’ve got Man United and England’s greatest ever goalscorer, who has won everything he could win in this country, talking about how he prepares for games, you can’t not take something from that whether for Saturday or for the long-term future.

“We’ve got a lot of young players at the club, so maybe they can take some of those words of wisdom away and apply it to how they prepare for games.

“Generally speaking, the lads are a very down-to-earth kind of group anyway.

“We spoke to the lads after Saturday and told them to enjoy the win as that was important, but the work had to start then for the hardest game of football they will have ever played in because the prize is so big.”

Wayne Rooney addresses the Warrington Rylands squad

Wayne Rooney addresses the Warrington Rylands squad

The visitors to Gorsey Lane this weekend are also first-time semi-finalists but having reached the third round in each of the past three seasons, they have had to come through three less rounds than their opponents.

They arrive refreshed having had two weeks to prepare for the game, and McNabb is under no illusions about the size of the task facing his side.

“We went down to watch their quarter final and were really impressed,” he said.

“They are dogged, difficult to break down and very organised. They’ve got some exceptionally talented players who can hurt teams as well.

“They don’t concede many goals, they break well and have some very gifted players who can produce moments of magic.

“We’re under no illusions that it’s going to be an unbelievably tough game.”

McNabb confirmed he has a fully fit squad available to him, with midfielder Sam Sheen recovering from the injury that forced him off during Saturday’s quarter-final win over Hebburn Town.

Forward Conor Ready is also available again after missing that game through suspension having accumulated two yellow cards in earlier rounds.

That rule is wiped from this stage onwards, so the only way any player would miss a potential trip to Wembley is by being sent off in the semi finals.

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