AT 34 and with a World Cup and European Championship winners medal, Youri Djorkaeff still cannot get enough of football.

The French midfielder complains that the games cannot come fast enough to satisfy his hunger to play and his manager admits he has to drag him off the training ground every day.

And when he is not playing he is teaching the youngsters in the academy and youth ranks how to make the most of their talents.

Djorkaeff's stunning overhead kick, which won a point five minutes from time at Charlton on Saturday, was as much the produce of dedication and professionalism as talent.

He is a great believer that what players put in on the training ground they get out on the pitch.

He says that was certainly the case at The Valley.

"Your mind is like a computer. The more you work on the training ground, the more you put into your head so that when the ball comes at you in a game you know what to do," he said.

"Practice and training is very important. I tell the young players that after training has finished they must practice shooting ten times with their left foot and ten times with their right foot and they will benefit in the future by scoring goals."

Despite reaching the veteran stage of his career age is showing no signs of taking its toll as he remains as fleet footed and sharp as players ten years his junior.

And he relishes the rigours of the notoriously demanding English season.

"A game every three days is good," he added.

"I am very happy to be playing in a league with so many games because I enjoy games coming so quickly.

"Whether you win or lose you should always look forward to the next game.

"I have played every three days all through my career and that is the way I like it."

Sam Allardyce is doing his best to save his star man's legs but says it is not easy.

"Youri is not a world class player just because of his ability but because of the work he puts in.

"He has tremendous talent but he is also great to work with and he covers so much ground in games.

"When he gets a sniff of a chance he works extra hard to turn it into a goal and turn a game in our favour.

"He is a great trainer and the difficulty isn't getting him to train but getting him off the training ground.

"He wants to stay on the training ground but as his legs get older I have to tell him it's a long season and he has to come off."

He joked: "Fortunately I always get my way because I am six foot two and he is five foot eight so I'm big enough to pick him up and throw him into the dressing room if I need to."

Allardyce says Djorkaeff has a positive influence on the Reebok's potential stars of the future, adding: "He is great for the younger players who can see what he does in training. They can watch his technique, ability and dedication and it is a big help on their learning curve.

"I keep telling people that by bringing Youri and Jay Jay Okocha we have created a bit of history at the club. Jay Jay is just as good as Youri. He is equal in terms of ability and workrate and he is the same type of lad, a willing worker."

Revealing how a small town club like Bolton manages to attract big name players like Djorkaeff and Okocha - and others like Ivan Campo, Fredi Bobic, Bruno N'Gotty and Stig Tofting - he revealed: "We create an image that we are a cosmopolitan club which accepts players from all over the world.

"They enjoy what we demand from them and we work with a smile on our faces.

"And we pay them enough money which is important."

Djorkaeff was not Alan Curbishley's favourite person when he hit that late equaliser on Saturday but the Charlton manager appreciates his ability and his influence on the Wanderers team.

He believes Djorkaeff will be instrumental in Wanderers' survival campaign, saying: "When Bolton are going well he can get into games and cause a lot of problems for teams.

"He is a very good player who drifts around the pitch making it very difficult to pick up."