FLORENT Laville looked puzzled at the mention of the nickname he is reputed to have earned in nine impressively consistent seasons in French football.

"The Rock of Lyon?" he queried, "I didn't know that was my nickname."

If it wasn't before, it is now!

The 29-year-old centre-back, who has never played for any other club in his professional career, made an impressive, rock-solid debut in Saturday's Reebok derby - slotting in and looking more like a 500-game regular than a newcomer.

And that against Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer - one of the most lethal attacking combinations in the Premiership.

It was tough on the swarthy defender that the nippy Norwegian managed to get just ahead of him to meet David Beckham's near-post cross for United's last-gasp equaliser but his overall performance suggests Sam Allardyce's gamble to sign him unseen - primarily on the strength of his CV - has paid off handsomely.

From his first decisive intervention to halt Ryan Giggs in his tracks, he played with an assurance and an authority, working alongside Gudni Bergsson to frustrate van Nistelrooy and Solksjaer time and again.

"It was good to start with a big match like this," Laville said. "I was satisfied in general with my own performance but very disappointed to concede a goal in the last minute. It's not the first time but we deserved more than that."

Allardyce was in no mood to wax lyrical as he stewed over the implications of two more dropped points but revealed he had no hesitation in giving the Frenchman his debut in the absence of the suspended Per Frandsen.

"Outstanding!" the manager said, "like the other 11, 12 or 13. Every man that played was magnificent. I can't take that away from them but their professionalism is lacking and that's something against the character of the side that we have to overcome and overcome quickly.

"But Florent's was a very solid defensive performance. If he can keep that up that all-important clean sheet will come and we'll get the three points instead of one.

"He's been with us two weeks now and we've seen him grow and get used to us. We had a whole week on the Reebok, practising with him in the back four and he looked outstandingly solid. When you see a player perform like that on his debut against United, it gives you a great deal of pleasure.

"I hope he continues to do that because he'll give everybody else in the side confidence to know we've got another quality player in the squad to help us in our last 10 games.

"The team will change many times between now and the end of the season because of suspensions, injuries and possibly because of a loss of form and we'll need that squad right to the end."

One man who was not surprised by Laville's impressive debut was the Wanderers' goalscorer Bruno N'Gotty, who played with him at Lyon.

"He had a good game and I'm sure he can carry on like that to the end of the season," said the Frenchman who made a big impression in his first Premiership start in last season's win at Old Trafford. He is a good defender. He doesn't do miracles and nobody asks him to score because he is a defender. But he does his job very well."