Twenty years after Ben Osborn originally left the club, Derby County has the support of supporters to get him back. Osborn, a midfielder and longtime Rams supporter, was recently demoted by Sheffield United from the Premier League, although it’s unclear right now if he will be staying at Bramall Lane in the near future.
This summer, Osborn will turn 30. He joined the Blades in 2019 when they were starting their first season back in the Premier League under Chris Wilder, having previously played for Derby’s rivals Forest. After proving to be a consistent and gifted player in the Championship at Forest, he was given a chance to play in the premier league. Osborn played frequently to assist the team in returning to the top division after two years in the top flight.
Now that Wilder is back in control, Osborn’s career could be at a turning point. The Blades, getting ready for the Championship once more, will start the new campaign with two points after the EFL punished them in April for not making payments that were supposed to be made to other teams for trade agreements. The Sun maintains that they cannot activate Osborn’s option to an additional year in his contract until their takeover is finalized.
He’s been great since I’ve been here, and I knew what he was about—his attitude, his ability to work as a team, and his willingness to perform when called upon. In my opinion, they are the players who are truly priceless to have around the field. He is very knowledgeable and understanding of the game when you ask him to accomplish a task. We had a conversation with Ben regarding an extension; he has a contract option and one that we would like to work with going forward.
Osborn expressed his own hopes for staying in Yorkshire earlier this year when he said, “I hope so. The gaffer has mentioned that he might extend my contract, so hopefully things work out and I’ll be here for another year or more.”
Prior to their own return to the Championship, Derby needs to bolster their midfield. Max Bird has completed a permanent move to Bristol City, and Conor Hourihane has left and joined Barnsley at the expiration of his Pride Park contract.
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