Derby sign free-agent midfielder Hendrick

Jeff Hendrick played 12 games on loan at Sheffield Wednesday last season, scoring once

Derby County have re-signed midfielder Jeff Hendrick on a deal to the end of the season.

The Republic of Ireland international has been without a club since leaving Newcastle United at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

Hendrick, 33, began his career with the Rams and played 214 games before moving to Burnley in 2016.

He rejoins a Derby side currently bottom of the Championship and seven points from safety with 11 games left to play.

Boss John Eustace confirmed earlier this week that Hendrick had been training at the club.

"Obviously, Jeff knows the club inside out, he was here when I was playing as well, so I know the kind of character he is," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby.

"I think he'll help the dressing room from now until the end of the season. He's a very fit, athletic lad, looks no different now to when I was playing with him, and has had a fantastic career."

Hendrick has played more than 400 club games and during his time at Newcastle also had loan spells with QPR, Reading and Sheffield Wednesday.

He last played for Wednesday in a 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough in April last year.

"I turned some things down over the summer and January, they just didn't feel right to me, didn't excite me," Hendrick told the Derby website.

"I'm not fully fit. You can't be unless you're training and playing games but the main thing was getting in amongst the group and getting sharper."

Hendrick added: "I'm an older player now, so maybe I can bring a bit of experience to help players in any way I can. If I didn't think I could bring something, there'd be no point in me coming here and being away from my family."

Derby are at home to Eustace's former club Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.