Derby County

Former Derby County midfielder Jeff Hendrick is training with the club and set to play a part in their battle to avoid relegation from the Championship.

The 33-year-old has been without a club since being released by Newcastle United at the end of last season having finished the campaign on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.

Rams head coach John Eustace told BBC Radio Derby having Hendrick in the ranks was a "real plus" because "he knows the club inside-out".

"He was here when I was playing, as well, and I know the kind of character he is so I think he will help the dressing room between now and the end of the season," Eustace said.

Hendrick made 12 appearances for Wednesday last season but has not played a game of first-team football since 1 April 2024.

The Republic of Ireland international started his career with Derby and played more than 200 matches before joining Burnley for £10.5m in 2016.

"He's looked great in training but he's a very fit and athletic lad and looks no different to when I played with him," added Eustace.

"He hasn't played any games at all for the past year and is doing a small pre-season so we want to get him involved as much as he can and hopefully next week he'll be part of the group.

Eustace called Hendrick "a leader in the way he talks and conducts himself" and said he "will drive the standards between now and the end of the season".

Derby host Eustace's former club, Blackburn Rovers, in the Championship on Saturday looking for their first win under the new head coach since he left Ewood Park for Pride Park last month.

Derby County boss John Eustace welcomes some familiar faces to Pride Park on Saturday as they host his former side Blackburn Rovers.

Eustace departed promotion-chasing Rovers in February to take helm of the Rams as they look to escape relegation.

But Derby have yet to claim any points under their new boss and he'll be hoping to pick up his first against a side he knows all too well.

• Derby County have lost each of their last five league games against Blackburn Rovers, conceding exactly three goals on average per defeat.

• Blackburn Rovers have won their last two away league games against Derby County, as many wins as across their prior 12 visits to face the Midlands outfit (D4 L6).

• Derby County have lost 10 of their last 12 Championship matches (D2) and are the only side in the division without a victory in 2025 (D2 L9).

• Blackburn manager Valerien Ismael has faced Derby four times previously, beating them in his first game against them in November 2020 with Barnsley but he's since gone three in a row without seeing his side score a goal against the Rams (D2 L1).

• John Eustace has lost all three of his Championship matches as Derby manager so far, having joined from Blackburn in February. No Rams manager has ever lost each of his first four league games in charge.

"Whilst it's still possible, I'll always say that there's a chance and I'm confident in us - but it is getting progressively more and more hard to have that hope as the games go on."

Dominic Dietrich is joined by Derby County fans Callum Boocock and Amelia Warren as they take a look at the Rams' remaining 11 games.

Here are their upcoming fixtures until the end of the season:

• Blackburn Rovers (H)

• Coventry City (H)

• Plymouth Argyle (A)

• Preston North End (H)

• Swansea City (A)

• Burnley (H)

• Portsmouth (A)

• Luton Town (H)

• West Bromwich Albion (A)

• Hull City (A)

• Stoke City (H)

You can listen to the full episode and more on the Rams Daily podcast.

"The only hunger I saw out there at the Riverside was the seagulls that appeared in the 100th minute. Once all the crowd went, those seagulls descended on all the stands.

"If the Derby County team showed as much hunger as those seagulls, we'd be all right."

Dominic Dietrich and Ed Dawes are joined by former Derby striker Malcolm Christie to discuss the Rams hitting rock bottom of the Championship.

You can listen to the full episode and more on the Rams Daily podcast.

Image source, Getty Images

After Derby County dropped to the bottom of the Championship table, we asked Rams supporters for their views on the club's chances of survival with 11 matches remaining.

Derby's dire run of 10 defeats in a 12-game winless league run - in which they have managed to score just four goals - has apparently left fans with little hope.

Below is a selection of what supporters had to say...

Simo: The season is over. I just can't see Derby collecting any more points let alone stringing a set of results together. So much optimism before the season began - however, for whatever reason, it's turned into one to forget. Start making plans for League One as we aren't getting out of this mess any time soon.

Les: I'm resigned to relegation sadly.

Paul: Mathematically it is still possible, so there is still hope. In reality, though, I cannot see it happening. Individual defensive errors and a total lack of ability to score mean we will struggle to win another game. Even if we cut out the defensive errors you can't win games if you don't score. Perhaps Kemar Roofe will find a way, but I doubt it. My heart hopes we do survive but my head says we'll be relegated... but League One champions next season?

John: If we can manage 10 points from our next four games, we may have a chance. It's a big ask...but a needed one with the safety gap now four points. We can't rely on the others dropping points.

Kris: Still a lot to play for but the lack of confidence is ruining the side at the very first concession - it's like watching the ill-fated Premier League side [2007-08] again in that respect. Plenty of sides in the mix, and we only need to be above three of them come May, but if Mr Clowes doesn't get the level of investment we need to be competitive in this ever-improving Championship then we'd only be delaying the inevitable if we were to escape the drop. We go on in hope rather than expectation.

Ginge: Can't see where the next win is coming from. These remaining games are do or die. Need a win and a win fast, got to be more aggressive towards the opposition and get stuck in.

Rob: Thoughts at the start of the season was happy with fourth bottom, this could now be best case scenario! Main confusion lies with how we have gone from convincing wins, especially against Bristol City and Portsmouth, to apparently being devoid of talent, goals or confidence, in [the space of] a quarter of a season.

Chris: Confidence is lacking across the board. Unless we get a goal soon it's going to be a struggle to avoid relegation. Injuries have hindered us without a doubt but other teams have their woes. We badly need investment so we can compete with our peers at least. I m resigned to relegation happening, unless we get a miracle. But I'll still support my team.

Harry: Relegation is inevitable at this point, we offer no attacking threat in the final third. I think if we do go down, we need to invest and rebuild the team for the long-term goals of promotion next season and keeping Championship status after that.

Dom: We have the players and the manager to stay up, and the teams around us aren't pulling up trees either. But the confidence doesn't look to be there, and our goalscoring record is atrocious. I'll be amazed if we avoid relegation.

Dave: The squad simply isn't good enough for the Championship. Those who think it is or who think we will stay up need to have a word with themselves. The midfield, in particular, is too slow and lacks creativity - a total overhaul is needed in the summer. I suspect we will be in League One for a while, unfortunately.

Andy: Not enough talent, not enough fight. We'll finish bottom. Hopefully keep Eustace so he can pay the fans back on his promises.

Derby County's defeat by Middlesbrough on Saturday was their 10th loss in a 12-game winless Championship run that has left them bottom of the table.

It is the first time they have sunk to the foot of the standings since returning to England's second tier this season.

The loss brought with it expected words of defiance from head coach John Eustace - whose clear disappointment in the loss was mixed in with talk of the "fantastic attitude" of his players.

But nothing distracts from the fact the Rams are now on their worst winless run since their disastrous Premier League campaign of 2007-08 when they went 36 games without a victory from September 2007 until August the following year.

And it can still get worse this week, as sides scrapping with them at the bottom of the table - Hull City and Plymouth Argyle - face one another on Tuesday, capable of pulling away further from the beleaguered Rams.

So, with Derby at a new low - and at risk of sinking deeper into the mire - can you see a way to salvation?

Let us know your thoughts here.

Amelia Warren
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

After last week's last-minute heartbreak against Millwall, Derby were unable to turn their terrible run of form around against Middlesbrough.

Once again, the Rams looked second best all afternoon and, other than an early shot from Ebou Adams which stung the palms of Mark Travers, there were very few other moments to get the respectable number of travelling Derby fans excited.

The 1-0 defeat at The Riverside was Derby's third defeat in as many games since John Eustace took charge, leaving many fans questioning owner David Clowes and chief executive Stephen Pearce.

Fans want to know why previous manager Paul Warne wasn't provided with better player recruitment during the summer and January transfer windows.

And also why the decision to sack Warne came after the January window had ended, leaving new man Eustace to inherit a threadbare squad of players which many fans feel is simply not good enough to compete in the Championship, and doesn't suit his playing style.

Despite now being rock-bottom of the Championship table, fans are finding it even tougher to take knowing that fixtures such as Plymouth Argyle at home, Millwall at home last weekend and Luton Town away have seen Derby drop several points from winning and drawing positions.

Games you feel could've been seen out if we ultimately had better quality players on the pitch.

A frustration which reared its head once again on Saturday as another individual error cost us a crucial point in the fight for survival.

Without injuries to crucial players like Curtis Nelson, Kane Wilson and David Ozoh, you do wonder whether the Rams may have been able to grind out a few more results to push them away from the drop.

It now feels like if midweek games go against us and we fail to win against Blackburn on Saturday, relegation is all but confirmed.

You can often catch Amelia Warren, external as a guest on BBC Radio Derby.

Derby County head coach John Eustace says he was pleased with his side's attitude in their 1-0 loss at Middlesbrough.

The defeat saw the Rams drop to the bottom of the Championship having not won in 12 matches.

It is their worst winless run since their disastrous Premier League campaign of 2007-08 when they went 36 games without a win from September 2007 until August the following year.

"I'm very disappointed. I felt, second half, Middlesbrough didn't cause us any problems, and the manner we conceded the goal wasn't good enough," he told BBC Radio Derby.

"It's tough job, it is what it is, but I'm here to help, I'm here to progress the club.

"I thought, first half, we had a couple of real good chances on the break and our final pass wasn't good enough.

"It's stuff that we've been working on in the last couple of weeks, so that will come, that will keep improving.

"I was really pleased with the group again, the attitude was fantastic and just very disappointed that we lost."

Derby County head coach John Eustace is convinced the Rams are capable of "something special" in their increasingly desperate fight to avoid relegation from the Championship.

Derby have lost 10 matches in a 12-game winless run across all competitions since late December and are just one point and one place above rock-bottom Luton Town.

While Eustace has overseen two defeats since his arrival as Rams boss, and is yet to see his side score a goal, he says his players are "desperate to do well" for the club.

"Even in the game against Millwall [a 1-0 defeat], if we got that lucky break, I think the whole place is ready to erupt," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby.

"The fans are right behind the team, the staff, the players. As soon as we get that goal, that first win, I can really see something special happening."

Keep up with the latest on Derby County by listening to the Rams Daily podcast on BBC Sounds.

The Riverside will play host to a game with interest at both ends of the table as Derby visit Middlesbrough on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Boro stopped the rot after five straight league defeats with a 3-1 win at Stoke in midweek and are still only four points behind fifth-placed West Bromwich Albion, despite having briefly slipped into the bottom-half last weekend.

The Rams are winless since Boxing Day and have scored just two goals in their past nine games to slide to second-bottom, four points from safety.

• Middlesbrough have won just two of their past nine league games against Derby County (D4 L3), though both victories in that time have come at the Riverside Stadium.

• After winning the reverse fixture 1-0 in August, Derby County are looking to record a first league double over Middlesbrough since the 1988-89 season.

• Middlesbrough have lost their past two home league games, last losing three in a row at the Riverside Stadium in April 2022.

• Derby have failed to win any of their past 11 league games, suffering nine defeats in that time (D2). They last had a longer run between September 2007 and August 2008 (36 games).

• Derby have failed to score in each of their past three league games, last having a longer run without a goal in March 2021 (4).

Derby boss John Eustace says he needs a settled team to make things easier as the Rams battle against relegation from the Championship.

Eustace has lost the services of midfielder David Ozoh for the rest of the season and will also be missing defender Matt Clarke for this weekend's game at Middlesbrough.

"Matt came off last week at an important time and will be touch and go for the weekend although it's not as bad as we initially thought so we'll wait and see," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby.

Derby have lost both games since Eustace replaced Paul Warne as boss earlier this month and are now second from bottom of the table.

"Once we get a settled team it will be a lot easier but when you're losing players from the two games we've had already it is difficult and challenging," Eustace added.

"I know when we win that first game there will be a real buzz about the place.

"If we don't win in the next couple of games there's no problems, we'll be very competitive to the end of the season and go on a run of games where we get results."

Keep up with the latest on Derby County by listening to the Rams Daily podcast on BBC Sounds.

"Coming back after that game [the 1-0 loss to Millwall] and talking to other Derby fans, it was certainly a sense of frustration that it feels like we're going down now, particularly after you look at the run-in we've got coming up.

"But still, John Eustace is a ruddy good manager and you've got to keep in mind if he chose to leave Blackburn - a team in the top six - for Derby, he would clearly have a lot of confidence he could keep us up.

"There's still 12 games to go. It's not a huge amount of time but Eustace has shown in his two spells at this level that he's more than capable of turning things around."

Host of the Second Tier podcast Ryan Dilks says it is difficult to see how Derby County can improve but believes there is "still every chance" of avoiding relegation from the Championship.

Dilks joins his podcast co-host Justin Peach and BBC Radio Derby's Ed Dawes to discuss whether or not the Rams can escape danger.

Keep up with the latest on Derby County by listening to the Rams Daily podcast on BBC sounds.

Ed Dawes
BBC Radio Derby commentator

Image source, Rex Features

The baptism of fire new Derby County head coach John Eustace has walked into has all the hallmarks of someone buying a car and then realising it is a cut and shut.

The Rams are unable to move away from the relegation zone in the Championship because nobody can find the accelerator to park the car in the garage, or goal.

Cars aside, the job in hand for Eustace will certainly be the hardest in his managerial career.

There is no doubt his credentials are perfect to manage a club the size of Derby, but currently the model needs a new engine and total respray.

The passengers stay consistent and expectant, but the destination on the sat nav currently says League One.

How has it come to this? The consensus in the fanbase aims the finger at two failed transfer windows. Was the strength of the Championship underestimated? Have Derby tried to compete on the cheap and gambled?

They have spent money. A collective £2.9m on goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström, Ebou Adams and Kenzo Goudmijn. All unproven at Championship level.

The money spent was in return for £4.6m on sold assets with a further £3.4m due.

At 30 years of age Kayden Jackson was a free agent with a record of 28 goals in 199 games.

Jerry Yates was third choice at Swansea and joined on loan, Marcus Harness joined from Ipswich and has spent most the season playing out of position.

Loan midfielder David Ozoh looks the part but has sadly been injured all season, Tawanda Chirewa looked lightweight, got injured and sent back to Wolves, while Nat Phillips looks quality but has also been injured too much.

In truth, Derby have only spent what they have brought in.

Eiran Cashin was sold to Brighton for around £10m and then replaced by prospect Sondre Langas for £4m.

Striker Lars Jorgen Salvesen whose 6ft Viking like appearance has the potential to paralyse defenders, but the poor form of Derby's wide players means he has had little or no service.

Derby have scored four league goals in 11 matches. They haven't won since Boxing Day, losing nine league games.

18 goals from open play all season and they have only had two penalties.

If and right now, when, Derby are relegated from the Championship, it will be down to a lack of goals, lack of quality and composure in the final third.

The quality is the worry. But anyone who assessed the Rams squad in August and watched it up until January will know that the firepower is not good enough at this level.

So why were they unable to strengthen the attacking areas properly both windows? We don't know, we will never know.

Yates has huffed and puffed, scored a few but has spent the season mostly battling defenders a foot taller than him on his own.

But that will be what costs them if they sink to the third tier for the second time in three years.

This time though, it won't be for having 21 points deducted, it will be because the delivery of a season on and off the field looks like, for now at least, it has failed.

Amelia Warren
Fan writer

Image source, Rex Features

Another "same old Derby" feel at the end of the match on Saturday. A game with not much in it which could have easily gone either way, ending in defeat for the Rams.

Millwall have now beaten us on their last five visits to Pride Park, which only rubs salt into the wounds even more.

After Josh Coburn missed Millwall's late penalty and the atmosphere inside Pride Park ramped up, you got the feeling we could go on to grab all three points.

However, once the killer blow of losing David Ozoh to injury was dealt, shortly after seeing Matt Clarke also leave the field limping, it was almost inevitable what was going to follow.

When getting into good attacking positions Derby just didn't take enough risks.

Cries of "shoot" from the South Stand could be heard on multiple occasions throughout the match but poor decision-making, not moving the ball quick enough and a lack of quality caused good opportunities to pass us by.

This Derby team unfortunately still look very short on confidence - something I fear will take John Eustace at least up until the international break to fix.

It may even end up an issue that can't be fixed.

When going forward our wingers and strikers look like they'd rather play the ball safely sideways and backwards, rather than taking on their man or taking on a shot when space opens up.

Ultimately, we can't score goals if we don't take shots and we can't win football matches if we don't score goals. A cycle we can't seem to get out of at the moment.

One positive to take from the game was the clear response in the performance levels from the 4-0 loss to QPR on Valentine's Day.

We had our moments in the game and I don't think you can fault the effort put in by the players who left everything out on the pitch.

However, obvious signs of fatigue and a clear lack of confidence once again proved to be our Achilles heel and you fear the longer our poor run of form continues, the confidence in the squad may only deteriorate further.

That's six games at home without a goal for the Rams now, our longest ever goalless run at Pride Park. We also remain winless in 2025.

Derby sit 23rd in the Championship table, four points from safety to 21st placed Cardiff City, who also have a massive game in hand to play against Hull City on Tuesday.

If we are to retain our Championship status next season, we must find a way to start winning games and take more risks in the final third.

An interesting two weeks await as we face fellow strugglers Middlesbrough next weekend - when I'm expecting a cagey battle between two sides who are both desperately in need of a win - followed by Blackburn Rovers at home, with John Eustace up against the club he left to join the Rams.

Derby are now well into must-win territory and you feel we will need to pick up some points in both fixtures to have any chance of Championship survival.

You can often catch Amelia Warren, external as a guest on BBC Radio Derby.

Image source, Getty Images

Goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom says Derby County have what it takes to avoid relegation despite sinking further into the Championship drop zone over the weekend.

Saturday's last-gasp defeat by Millwall, combined with other results going against Derby, sees them second from bottom in the table and four points from safety.

Josh Coburn scored the only goal of the game at Pride Park in the 95th minute, having had a penalty saved by Zetterstrom just minutes earlier.

"We are very disappointed," the Swedish goalkeeper told BBC Radio Derby. "But I definitely believe that if we look at the bigger picture of what we did today and what we have done throughout the week, I'm very sure we can find strength in this."

The defeat was Derby's ninth in an 11-game winless league run dating back to late December and their second loss in as many games under John Eustace since his appointment earlier this month.

Despite the woeful run of form, Zetterstrom says Derby are capable of getting out of trouble with 12 games remaining.

"There are so many games left to play and we are fighters, not victims," he said.

"There is so much talent in that room and so much belief in what we can do that there is no point just giving up."

More from Zetterstrom and post-match analysis as well as other interviews are on the Rams Daily podcast on BBC Radio Derby.

Image source, Rex Features

Derby County boss John Eustace said he knew what he was getting into when he swapped the top six of the Championship for the bottom three by leaving Blackburn Rovers to join the Rams.

But, having so far drawn two blanks from his first two games, he admits that the chief task is finding a way to score goals.

The Rams have now managed just five of them, in their winless 12-game league and cup run since beating managerless West Bromwich Albion 2-1 on Boxing Day - and even that was with an own goal.

"We have to improve in the final third," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby. "It's very evident where we need to improve.

"I was under no illusions as to how difficult it was going to be. But I'm here for the long term not the short term.

"The lads are working hard on the training ground. But we need to create more chances. And that just comes from hard work on the training pitch.

"It's very hard to get that magical solution straightaway, but there's lots to work on. And all we can do is keep working with the boys and see where it takes us.

"I'm really disappointed to lose. We didn't deserve to lose, although we probably didn't do enough to win either.

"We were up against a very difficult team in Millwall who haven't lost many games out of the last 10 or 11, so we knew it was going to be tough. But the attitude was very good and the lads never gave up."

Image source, Rex Features

Derby head coach John Eustace says Steve Round's Derby history and "vast experience" make him the ideal man to help the club steer clear of the Championship relegation zone.

The Rams are third from bottom of the table, one point adrift of safety with 13 games still to play.

But Eustace says bringing in Round, who has worked as part of the coaching set-up at numerous clubs, including Newcastle United, Everton, Aston Villa and Arsenal, is a big boost.

Round, like Eustace a former Rams player, and also a one-time coach at the club, has joined the coaching staff on a part-time basis in a support role for the rest of the season. He is part of a new-look backroom team following Paul Warne's sacking.

"Roundy is a friend of mine who I know very well and has a great CV," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby.

"I felt he can come in, help the group and look after everyone. We can use his vast knowledge and experience.

"He is part of the Derby family and knows what it's all about here at the club. He has been here and been very successful.

"He can only be a positive addition to the group."

Listen to John Eustace's full interview on the Rams Daily on BBC Sounds.