Wed 29 Nov - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 2mins
One of Derby County’s most consistent performers since joining in September, Joe Ledley has been rewarded by the club with a new 18-month contract that will keep him at Pride Park Stadium until at least 2019.
The Wales international was a free agent when he was snapped up by Gary Rowett, and his presence in the side has coincided with an up-turn in form that has taken the Rams into the play-off places as we near the halfway point of the campaign.
Here, dcfc.co.uk take a look at the numbers behind Ledley’s super start…
The 1-0 defeat to Ipswich on Tuesday night was the first time that Ledley had tasted defeat in a Derby shirt, a fact that outlines his importance to the side since he joined.
Crucially, it is defensively that Ledley has had the most impact, with the Rams only conceding five goals in his 10 appearances so far, keeping five clean sheets.
In comparison, Derby have let in 16 goals in just five league games when Ledley hasn’t been in the side, with two clean sheets amassed in that time.
When Ledley struck to give Derby the lead against Brentford at Griffin Park, he became the first debutant to score for the Rams for over two years.
Tom Ince was the last man to achieve the feat when he scored twice on his first Derby appearance against Bolton Wanderers in February 2015.
Along with his debut goal, Ledley also made an impact when he made his home bow in the East Midlands derby…
24 seconds was all it took for the Rams to take the lead against their old rivals Nottingham Forest when Matej Vydra fired into the corner with his left foot.
It was Ledley’s ball that allowed the forward to turn and give Rowett’s side an astonishingly early lead, and he continued to display his creative quality throughout the afternoon.
He made three key passes that day, no other player on the pitch for either side made more.
Ledley is perhaps better known for his combative midfield play rather than his quality in possession, but he’s shown his excellent passing ability so far this season.
He’s completed 82% of his passes in the Sky Bet Championship this year, a figure that is matched by only Curtis Davies and Richard Keogh in the Derby squad.
As well as that, in the back-to-back wins against Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City, Ledley played the full 90 minutes in both games, completing a remarkable 91 of his 96 attempted passes.
