3/1 To Win
Rams striker makes League 2 switch.
Derby County striker Callum Ball has joined Sky Bet League 2 side Torquay United on a two-month loan.
The 20-year-old frontman, who is a product of the Rams’ Academy set-up, has linked up with Alan Knill’s side until Monday 7th October 2013.
He has also been given permission to feature for the Gulls in the Capital One Cup.
Ball spent the entire 2012/13 season on loan at Coventry City in League 1 and the Leicester-born striker scored three times for the Sky Blues, with injury restricting him to just 21 appearances.
He returned to Pride Park in the summer and scored in the 6-1 friendly win over Bohemians in July, as well as featuring for the Rams’ Under 21 side in their pre-season matches.
Manager Nigel Clough believes Ball will benefit from his latest move in a bid to gain first-team experience, and he is in line to make his Gulls debut in their opening game of the season at home to AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.
He said: “It’s a great opportunity for Callum to get a run of games together at first-team level.
“His loan spell at Coventry was a bit up-and-down for him last season, but this year is a fresh start for him and it’ll be a really important learning curve for him.
“The aim is for Callum to play some games and score some goals in the next two months, and then we’ll take it from there.”
Ball was a regular on the scoresheet for Derby's youth and reserve sides before signing professional terms in the summer of 2011 and he has racked up 31 appearances in total at first-team level for the club, after initially making debut whilst still a scholar.
He scored three goals in 25 appearances for the Rams in the 2011/12 campaign, scoring in home wins over Bristol City, West Ham United and Coventry City to register the first goals of his professional career.
