3/1 To Win
Ivan Calero has labelled Derby County Under 21s’ clash with Blackburn Rovers as a ‘big opportunity’ in their battle for promotion from Barclays U21 Premier League – Division 2.
The Rams return to the iPro Stadium for the third time of the 2015/16 season to take on Rovers on the back of three wins in their last four outings, kick-off: 7pm.
With Darren Wassall stepping up to take over first team affairs until the end of the season, Derby’s Under 21s will also have a new coach in the dugout this evening after it was announced Rory Delap will take over the promotion-chasing group.
Speaking on last week’s developments and whilst he expressed his natural delight for Wassall, Calero believes the former Republic of Ireland international will be a ‘big help’ to the group for the remainder of the season.
He told dcfc.co.uk: “We’re all really pleased for him (Darren Wassall).
“It’s a big opportunity to prove himself and to do his best to help the first team achieve their goals.
“It’s different for all of us as well because we have got a new manager if you like too and we are getting used to how he likes to work.
“Rory is someone that we all know well from when we train with the Under 18s and he has already mentioned that he won’t be making many changes.
“We will just be looking to keep playing the same way that we have been. He’s already told us to keep doing the things that have served us well and he will bring great experience to the table from his days as a player. He will be a big help to us.
“He played in the Premier League and that in itself gives us an opportunity to learn every single day.”
Calero added: “Training under him has been a little different, we are doing things differently to what we have before, but it is all with the aim of achieving the same things.
“We have to keep working and moving forward because we have got six big games ahead of us.”
Derby come into tonight’s fixture having won their last two outings at the iPro Stadium – beating Fulham 3-0 and Wolves 1-0.
With the Barclays U21 Premier League campaign entering the final furlong, Calero, the Spaniard, believes victory tonight will be significant to their promotion push.
The young wideman said: “The iPro Stadium is a completely different environment to anywhere else we have played.
“It’s a very good stadium and it’s always a big thing for us to have the support of the fans who have turned out on the last two occasions we have played there. We will work hard to try and win the game.
“Tuesday is a big opportunity because if we win, we have got a great opportunity of making sure we stay in that pack for promotion.
“It was a really hard game. We could have won two or three nil on the night, but even still it was a very tough game. They came at us and towards the end we could have ended up drawing.
“It’s going to be another tough game. They are coming to come to fight us and try and get one over us, but we have to keep working hard and do everything we can to win the game.”
