University students help Rams prepare for new season

Student Cy Roach said it was "fantastic" to work with Derby County players such as Callum Elder

A group of university students have been given the opportunity to help Derby County players get prepared for the upcoming season.

Members of the Rams men's first-team visited the University of Derby, where staff and students performed a series of tests, such as cardiac screening, blood tests, eye tests and dental assessments.

The squad, including club captain Ebou Adams and new striker Carlton Morris, visited the university's Human Performance Unit to carry out tests ahead of their Championship opener against Stoke City on Saturday.

The university said the tests gave their sports science students "invaluable experience" of what working with professional athletes and clubs was like.

Alice Kemp helped midfielder Ben Osborn with his pre-season preparations

The collaboration also provided the Rams with "valuable data and insights" needed to help create individual programmes for each player ahead of the new season.

Cy Roach, who will return to Derby in September to study for a Masters in Applied Sport and Exercise Science, said: "It has been a fantastic experience to work closely with professional athletes so that I could apply what I have learned at the University of Derby to a real-world situation."

Derby County legend Craig Forsyth was put through his paces ahead of his 14th season with the Rams

Adams said he was hoping to "better his stats" in the upcoming season and to do so, he has been putting in the work during pre-season.

"No-one really likes the running part of it, but you've got to get it done," said the midfielder.

"To play, you have to be fit, and what I've seen so far in terms of pre-season, is that everyone has been up and at it."

Alice Kemp, who is also returning in September for a Masters, said the session was focused on "recording baseline measures that the players can work on throughout the season, seeing how far they can safely push their bodies".