BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today urged David Dunn to get tough as he attempts to fill the void left by Garry Flitcroft at Southampton tomorrow.

Souness will turn to Dunn as the man to partner Tugay in the centre of midfield in the absence of the suspended Flitcroft.

But the Rovers chief has warned his young midfield star he needs to start performing more like Roy Keane than his hero Paul Gascoigne if he wants to fulfil his undoubted potential in the long term.

"There are certain positions in the team which are so important to you and by that I mean your goalkeeper, your two centre-backs, and your central midfielders," said Souness today.

"They are positions of responsibility, whereas your full-backs, your wingers, your attacking midfielders and your strikers can play more off the cuff.

"So it's all about understanding the position and that applies to David.

"He wants to be a central midfield player and he sees himself as a bit of a Gascoigne at the moment.

"With all due respect to Gazza, he was a wonderful player but I want David to be more of a Roy Keane than a Gascoigne and he does have that in his locker.

"He thinks it's important to go on dribbles or as they say in Italy 'fantasia' - which roughly translated means fantasy football.

"So he sees himself as more of a flair player but I want him to be more of a business man - a team player."

Despite the warning, Souness is confident Dunn will take his advice on board and he has no doubts that it will stand him in good stead in the long run.

"David's learning all the time. He's only 23, he's got so much ability, and he probably thinks we are trying to knock that out of him," said the Rovers boss.

"But when I was a player at Liverpool I played with people who had that kind of ability and they were never allowed to show it unless all the other options had been exhausted.

"We were told to keep everything quick and simple and if you had no other option then that was the only time you were allowed to express that side of your game.

"So that's what we are trying to do with Dunny because of the position he plays in.

"When he gets in the last third he can do what he wants but in the other two thirds of the park it needs to be quick and simple.

"He'll be a proper player it's just whether it happens this season, next season or the season after that."