BURNLEY 1, Wanderers 1: JAY Jay Okocha will have license to roam when the new Premiership season kicks off on August 17.

The gifted Nigerian international, whose free transfer from Paris St Germain could turn out to be one of the steals of the summer, has been given the freedom to dictate his own terms on the field.

"He will be the king-pin of our team," Sam Allardyce predicted today, bristling with enthusiasm at the prospect of seeing the 28-year-old 'veteran' of three World Cup campaigns with the Super Eagles pulling the strings of his attack.

"If the front men make the runs, he will find them and he will open defences, which is one of the things we were missing last season.

"The players behind him will just have to make sure they defend properly."

Asked where he expects Okocha to play, the manager answered with a wry smile: "Anywhere he wants. The rest of the team can fit in and whatever spaces he leaves they must fill in for him ... and allow him to find his own space.

"He and Youri (Djorkaeff) will cause the opposition problems. The problem we have is teaching the rest of our players thay they must come out of their positions to cover for them."

Okocha showed touches of the class that has been admired the world over when he shone in the first half of last night's friendly at Burnley, where Allardyce played two entirely different line-ups in each half.

Djorkaeff played in the second half team which shaded the honours, in scoring terms if not performancewise, with Henrik Pedersen's crisp left-foot strike five minutes after the break cancelling out Gareth Taylor's header on 42 mins.

Allardyce was disappointed to see the former Manchester City striker allowed a free header to convert Lee Briscoe's free kick but declared himself suitably satisfied with what he described as "a good workout for the two 11s that I put out".

What starting line-up he has in his mind for the opening Premiership fixture against Fulham at Loftus Road is still a matter for conjecture but supporters should have a clearer picture next Wednesday when Wanderers take on Fiorentina at the Reebok. The manager says the team he picks to face the Italians will be "close" to the first 11 he has in mind for the first game.

Okocha made a lively start, creating chances for himself and his new colleagues. Michael Ricketts missed the best when he was off-target after the Nigerian's raking 50-yard pass gave Bo Hansen oceans of space in which to measure and deliver the ideal cross but Burnley replied well and Jussi Jaaskelainen was forced to make saves to deny the impressive Glenn Little and Steve Davis.

The second half changes gave 17-year-old reserve team defender Danny Livesey the chance to impress alongside Gudni Bergsson - 20 years his senior - and earn a glowing tribute from his manager, who is hoping he can emulate Kevin Nolan's high speed graduation from Academy to Premiership. "I felt last year that he had grown up and this year he is a bit better," Allardyce said of the young Mancunian who had noteable reserve team performances against Manchester United pair Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke and Leeds' firebrand Alan Smith

"We're short of defenders and, if he can maintain his progress, we might have another Kevin Nolan on our hands - with a bit of luck!"

Wanderers (first half): Jaaskelainen; Mendy, N'Gotty, Whitlow, Charlton; Okocha, Frandsen, Nolan, Gardner, Hansen; Ricketts.

Wanderers (second half): Poole; Southall, Livesey, Bergsson, Barness; Facey, Johnson, Warhurst, Farrelly, Djorkaeff; Pedersen.

Burnley: Michopoulos; West, Davis, Gnohere, Branch; Little, Grant, Briscoe, Moore (A); Moore (I), Taylor. Also used: Broomes, Cook, Blake, Cox, Armstrong, Papadopoulos, McGregor, Payton.

Attendance: 4,561.