Defender admits there was only one thing missing from his maiden Derby start.
Defender Kieron Freeman says the only thing missing from what would have been a ‘perfect’ first ever start for the club, was a clean sheet. The 20-year-old arrived at Pride Park from fierce rivals Nottingham Forest during the summer, and has been a regular in the side’s newly formed Under-21s’ set-up. After numerous first-team substitute appearances, manager Nigel Clough handed the young defender his first start for the Rams in the side’s 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough on New Year’s Day, and Freeman revealed that Lukas Jutkiewicz’s stoppage time strike was the only negative point during his home debut. He told Rams Player:“My first start could not have gone much better and was a great way to start off the New Year. “I didn’t know I was playing until about an hour before the game, but thankfully I got my chance and I really enjoyed being on the pitch, and hopefully there is more to come. “When I first came to the club I knew I wouldn’t be able to just walk straight into the team, no one does; you have got to work hard and show the Gaffer what you are capable of. “Middlesbrough are a very good side with a lot of top players, but we have got a good side and good players too, and if you watch the game back you’ll see they could not get near us when we played our one and two touch football. “In the second half they had nothing to lose and they played more direct, longer balls towards Jutkiewicz and Ishmael Miller. “Admittedly a clean-sheet would have topped everything off and made it a perfect day, but it is just one of those things that we will learn from and not let happen again.” Clough deployed the former Notts County loanee at left-back, as Gareth Roberts missed out owing to a calf injury, and despite Freeman playing the majority of his fledgling career on the opposite side, he revealed he does have experience in the left-back berth. He added: “At Forest I played left-back whilst in the Youth Academy and then sometimes in the reserves too. I am naturally a right-back but I don’t mind either position. “It helped having Rich (Richard Keogh) speak to me throughout the game and Mark O’Brien also helped me out with his aerial presence because Jutkiewicz is a very good player.” Watch the full post-match interview with Kieron Freeman exclusively on Rams Player.
