Albion hitman Roman Bednar has hailed Dimitar Berbatov as his perfect role model as he prepares to meet Manchester United for the first time.

The Czech Republic star – a boyhood United fan – is looking to model himself on the £30m Bulgarian as he looks to build on his bright start to Premier League life.

Bednar grew up admiring Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, after watching Sir Alex Ferguson’s men claim European Cup glory in 1999.

But it is Berbatov who provides the 25-year-old with a modern-day footballing icon, as he heads to Old Trafford with Albion.

Bednar said: “For me he is a fantastic striker. He might not have electric pace but he is a real all-round forward. His movement is excellent, his touch is fantastic, he is tall, pretty quick, athletic and he scores goals regularly.

“He and Roque Santa Cruz at Blackburn are the two players I look at all the time, watch and try to pick up bits from.

“Neither off them are going to sprint away from defenders or dribble past them regularly but they use their brains to get the better of defenders.

“They are the kind of strikers I think I can be more like.”

Bednar does admit that Yorke and Cole will always be his dream strike partnership, after inspiring him during his teenage years in the Czech Republic.

He said: “I used to watch Yorke and Cole all the time and I still think they were the best partnership I have seen up front. They both had great movement, great intelligence and an ability to score goals.

“I used to admire other players like Eric Cantona and Teddy Sheringham,  but in terms of United Yorke and Cole were the two I always looked up to most.”

Bednar admits he was the subject of ribbing this week, after being quoted in a national newspaper comparing himself to United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

He said: “I never meant it to come over the way it did. I said that one day I hope to be better than Ronaldo at certain aspects of my game.

“I never said ‘I’m better than Ronaldo’ but it hasn’t stopped the lads calling me ‘Ronnie’ all week.”