Derby manager Jim Smith has confirmed that the club has received a £5m bid from Middlesbrough for his star player, Rory Delap.

Delap finished top league scorer for Derby last season despite playing most of the season at the back and Middlesbrough boss Bryan Robson feels that he is the perfect replacement for the departing Christian Ziege.

While the rest of the Irish team are preparing for the crunch game against the Dutch on Saturday, Delap will be sitting at home wondering whether he will still be a Derby player or instead face a move to the North-east to join Middlesbrough.

Rory would have been involved with the Irish panel but he picked up an injury while playing for Derby which counted him out. His value to both Ireland and Derby is that he can more or less play in any position on the field.

He is naturally a right back but he has been used in central defence, at left back, in midfield and even as an out-and-out striker. This style of player is rare now and, even though Derby only paid £300,000 for him, his versatility makes him worth every penny of the £5m being touted.

According to the local press, Jim Smith confirms that an enquiry had come from the Riverside Stadium even though the Irish international was out with a cracked rib at the time and added: "we told them we were not interested in selling Rory."