Michael Jacobs feels he’s adapting to life at Derby County after hitting the net in today’s pre-season friendly at Burton Albion.
The wideman hit the only goal of the game just after half-time at the Pirelli Stadium in Derby’s second pre-season game of the summer with a composed finish.
20-year-old Jacobs, who joined Derby a month ago from League 2 Northampton Town for an undisclosed fee, was delighted to get his name on the scoresheet and hopes his maiden strike in a Rams shirt can be the platform for a successful season.
He told Rams Player: “It was nice to get my name on the scoresheet, even though it’s a pre-season game it’s nice to score for the first time in a Derby shirt.
“It felt it was a decent strike as well so I was pretty pleased and hopefully that will set me up nicely for the rest of pre-season, and then hopefully the season when it gets underway.
“An early goal can help you settle into a new club as well so that won’t have done me any harm, but it’s more important getting match fitness and getting used to my new team-mates than scoring a goal.
“It’s all about adapting for me at the moment and I feel I’m doing that, and hopefully once the season starts I’ll have done that and be totally settled.
“It’s a big challenge stepping up from League 2, but I am really enjoying it.”
Reviewing the game against Burton, Jacobs felt the Rams looked sharper for getting their first minutes of pre-season under their belts at Mansfield on Wednesday.
He is also looking forward to the challenge of competition for places as Derby step up their preparations for the season, with the big kick-off just three weeks away.
He said: “Burton are good side so it was a good test for us; it isn’t about winning in pre-season but in terms of bringing a winning mentality to the fore you can’t knock it.
“We played on Wednesday at Mansfield and I think we all felt a bit rusty because it was our first game, so we stepped it up a bit today.
“As the games progress I think people will be able to see us getting sharper, which is what pre-season is all about.
“Competition for places will get stronger too so it’s an exciting few weeks for all of us.”
Watch Michael Jacobs’s full interview on Rams Player.