Top scorer Zaki recalls golden era, says Bruce

Steve Bruce believes Amr Zaki's all-action style is a throwback to a bygone era in English football after his inspirational performance for Wigan against Manchester City.

Zaki scored the winning goal from the penalty spot at the JJB Stadium to put himself top of the Premier League goalscoring charts and impressed with his aggression and tireless running.

And Latics manager Bruce is confident the Egypt international, who has scored five times in six games, will continue to win over supporters.

"I said at the start of the season that Zaki is something a bit different which people might not have seen before and he put in a fantastic performance," Bruce said. "If he keeps playing like that he is going to be a real handful for any defender in the Premier League. He is already an asset for us. I don't mean it disrespectfully to the old-fashioned English centre-forward but he is an English-style centre-forward which you don't really see any more.

"His physique is great, he has awesome power and pace and, of course, he wants to score goals which is the important thing. He is refreshing and is a delight to work with and he will be beaming tonight and rightly so. Amr is going to be a real fans' favourite.

"Every supporter – whether you support Wigan or you support Man City – loves a trier who gives everything that he has got. And that is the one thing about Zaki, he gives you every last drop he has got.

"So you can forgive everything, he might make a mistake or give the ball away and he does that at times. But I can't question his attitude."

Bruce confirmed difficulties with the language can sometimes be an issue with Zaki and the other foreign players in his cosmopolitan squad. Bruce added: "That [language] is the biggest flaw with them – everything you see with them is off the cuff. I may as well talk to the wall."

City forward Robinho had a quiet game in the 2-1 defeat and manager Mark Hughes said the attacking talent at his disposal meant opposing sides will begin to adopt a defensive policy to make life difficult for the Brazilian.

"You saw from Robinho's performance that he is always wanting to receive the ball, always wanted to get on it and that shows he is brave in and out of possession," Hughes explained. "He is prepared to work for the cause and if we can get him in good areas then he can create for us as he has proved. We have to grow as a team and realise teams will try to make it more difficult for our better players."

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