Glenn On Ferdinand

Glenn Roeder says that he has some sympathy for Anton Ferdinand having Britain's most expensive player as an older brother - but backs him to cope with the additional burden as he starts out on his own professional career.

"He has obviously got his big brother to look up to and that makes it hard for him, there is no doubt about that," says Glenn.

"It is more difficult, but we have got to treat him as Anton Ferdinand and judge him on his own merits.

"He is only 17 and it is a good few months before he turns 18, but we are hopeful - he improved a lot last year."

Anton played in the second half of the friendly at Leyton Orient on Friday - in a somewhat younger line-up than took the field for the first half - and Glenn says: "The way he moves, tucks his arms in, and sets off, you could easily mistake him for Rio - they are very similar in that respect.

"I knew he wouldn't struggle on Friday with pace or strength and there was some quality on the ball - I thought he used it very well.

"Obviously he is just starting out with his learning curve, and he probably got caught on the second goal underneath the cross, but he will learn.

"He is a fantastic lad to work with in training and he wants to improve."

Glenn is still looking at adding to the squad, but he insists he will not panic, and adds: "We want to get more strength in depth, which we haven't got at the club. We know that when everybody is fit we have got a very decent starting eleven, or 13 or 14 players if you want.

"That is one of the reasons we finished seventh in the Premiership, but when your squad is that small you are relying on not picking up any injuries to key players, or suspensions, obviously.

"We need to get some more strength in depth and I am hoping before the start of the season, or certainly before the transfer window closes, I will have two more players of a sufficient quality that when they come in and play in the first team they do well for us.

"Ideally it would be nice to bring in four, but I am not in a position to do that this year.

"I will settle for two, I am taking my time and have my eye on a few players, and hopefully I will make the right choice.

"But, to be blunt, I am not saying what areas of the field. We have been linked with an awful lot of players just recently, when it is all just speculation."