Max Bird: Derby County 'can escape relegation', says midfielder
- Published
Max Bird has played 26 of Derby's 28 league and cup games this season, scoring once
Derby County midfielder Max Bird says they will "leave it all on the pitch" in every game as they try to pull off an incredible escape from relegation.
They remain bottom of the Championship after having 21 points deducted by the English Football League.
The Rams are 11 points behind 21st-placed Reading ahead of Saturday's home game with Sheffield United.
"We believe we can do it - the fans certainly believe we can do it," 21-year-old Bird told BBC Radio Derby.
Derby lost 1-0 to Coventry City in the FA Cup on Saturday following an impressive run of three wins and a draw in the league.
FA Cup highlights: Coventry City 1-0 Derby County
Were it not for the deductions - imposed for going into administration and for breaches of EFL accounting rules - Derby would be 14th in the table and 10 points clear of the bottom three.
"We know where we are, we can't change that, we can't do anything about it," Bird said.
"We're going to take each game as it comes, work as hard on the training field as we can, we're going to go out every single Saturday - or whenever it is - and give it 100% and leave it all on the pitch.
"That's all we can do, we can't worry about anything else, we can't worry about fixtures down the line, we have to take it day by day."
Manager Wayne Rooney is hoping to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window, while administrators continue their attempts to find a buyer for the club.
Three of Derby's next four Championship fixtures are at home, with Birmingham City and Hull, 18th and 19th in the table, following the Blades to Pride Park.
The next away match for the Rams is the East Midlands derby at Nottingham Forest on 22 January.