‘U23s Are Getting Their Rewards Now’

After a sticky opening to the 2017/18 season, Darren Wassall feels Derby County’s Under-23s are finally getting the rewards that their performances are meriting.

The Rams are currently on a four-game winning run in all competitions ahead of this weekend’s trip to the City Football Academy to take on Manchester Coty’s Elite Development Squad in their latest Premier League 2 Division 1 outing, kick-off: 11:30am.

Since recording a crucial 2-1 away win at Manchester United, Derby have gone on to beat Birmingham City in the Premier League Cup, lift the Steve Bloomer Trophy by beating a senior Real Union side and ended Liverpool’s flawless start to the 2017/18 campaign by winning 2-0 at St George’s Park earlier this week.

The sequence follows a run of four defeats from their first five Premier League 2 matches – outcomes that only told part of the story.

The Rams had turned in impressive performances in all of those games, but Wassall feels now that his players have found their winning combination.

The 49-year-old, who recently featured in our RamsTV Meets series, said: “The performances have been excellent all season and when we look at it, we still don’t feel as though we have got the points return that we deserve.

“We’re starting to get those rewards now. We also know that this is a tough, tough, League that we are playing in and that we have to be at our very best to get anything out of the games.

“Right now, we’re getting both the performance and the result. We have another easy game on Saturday, this time away at Manchester City!

“In all seriousness, whilst we have been able to enjoy Monday’s result all of our focus has been on getting ready for that.”

Looking ahead to their next test, Wassall says the challenge is simple – make sure that winning feeling continues.

Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad are up next and the Rams enjoyed some tasty meetings against the Sky Blues last term; including the 3-1 win at the AJ Bell Stadium back in January.

Wassall added: “Our last three League games, including this weekend, have been against Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City.

“It doesn’t get much harder than that, but we will keep trying to do our very best.

“We have got some great young players at this club and whilst we have got ourselves on a good run, we will be making sure that it doesn’t come to an end on Saturday.”

Read our full match preview to the Under-23s’ clash with Manchester City EDS by clicking here.