Derby County freshening up their squad

May 20, 2024 fulltimesport Other Clubs 0

Derby County released several important first-team players who were probably no longer able to play at a higher level, quickly refreshing their roster for the upcoming season.
Given that Conor Hourihane, a former Barnsley player, was captain during the recent League One promotion win, his name was perhaps the most unexpected among those revealed by Paul Warne at the end of their contract.With Max Bird now officially signed to Bristol City and Ebou Adams returning to Cardiff City for the foreseeable future after a standout loan, Derby will soon need to add more bodies in the middle of the park. Korey Smith has also been permitted to depart from his central midfield positions at Pride Park.
Even with Championship football just over the future, the Rams might be tempted to offer one young prodigy more playing time and an opportunity to make an impression rather than wasting the dough to go up a division.

Adebayo Fapetu’s numbers for Derby

Adebayo Fapetu, who was once a member of the Arsenal development team, will undoubtedly look up to players like Louie Sibley and Eiran Cashin as he attempts to break into the senior team quickly. Cashin and Cashin both never looked back after rising through the Derbyshire junior system.
But Fapetu is also an exciting talent in his own right, and he might be exactly what Derby needs to give their aging team some more vigor and determination.

Derby released list in full
Player released Age
Conor Hourihane 33
Dwight Gayle 34
Joe Wildsmith 28
Korey Smith 33
Martyn Waghorn 34
Scott Loach 35
Sourced by Transfermarkt

With a lot of their older players already off the roster, Fapetu may finally be getting his chance to shine following a strong Premier League 2 season.
In 15 appearances this season, the 19-year-old midfielder for the U21s managed to record a goal and an assist from the middle of the park. As a result, Warne gave the former Gunner an opportunity to play with the first team in the FA Cup against Crewe Alexandra late in 2023.With multiple midfield prospects apparently already on Derby’s radar, he will now be itching for more first-team opportunities and seizing the chance to pose a challenge in the middle of the pitch for Warne.
Given their stellar history with starlets, it wouldn’t be unusual for the Rams to eventually start bringing in more young players like Fapetu.

Derby’s track record with youngsters

Derby has a great track record of allowing young players to grow and thrive; just look at the team that made it to the promotion playoffs. Cashin, Sibley, Bird, and Liam Thompson all had a significant part to play in securing Championship football.

For many years, Cashin and Bird have been the cornerstones of the Rams first team. With Bird’s permanent move to Ashton Gate, Fapetu may now wish to prove himself in the senior ranks and serve as an experienced player’s backup before achieving similar success later on.

Derby academy graduates – numbers in the first-team
Player First-team appearances Goals Assists
Bird 200 10 17
Cashin 122 5 2
Sibley 173 20 12
Thompson 75 2 0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Reading the above table will give Fapetu some motivation, as he knows that getting into the first team may be a worthwhile, albeit winding, journey. However, he will need to sign a new contract in order to continue in the starting lineup, as his current one is set to expire next month.

However, given that the retained list has confirmed that negotiations are in progress, Fapetu may play a supporting role in Pride Park’s first squad the following season.However, Hourihane, who left Warne’s team a few weeks after winning a promotion, will try to finish his career with a new team.

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