Tue 09 Jan - Posted in News
Time to read: 3mins
Gary Rowett says he’s massively committed towards trying to guide Derby County back to the Premier League.
The Derby boss has today put pen-to-paper on a new contract which will run until the summer of 2021.
Rowett has overseen the Rams’ impressive rise up the Sky Bet Championship and with 20 games to go they occupy second place in the table.
The 43-year-old was appointed as Derby’s manager last March and as a former Rams player, as well as residing in the local area for many years, he says it was only natural to sign a new deal.
He has stated on several occasions that he had a burning desire to hold the manager’s position with the Rams and he is driven towards taking the club back to the top flight.
Rowett told RamsTV: “This was the job that I wanted out of all the jobs out there and, for me, it was a natural thing to do to sign a new contract.
“I am massively committed to trying to, finally, get this team back into the Premier League.
“Whether that is quickly or in the next few years, that is the aim and the plan.
“I am really happy here. Myself and my staff have loved the time that we’ve been here so far and we have a really, really good relationship with Mel and the people at the club.”
Rowett says talks have been ongoing over a new deal for several weeks.
There has been press speculation regarding his future this week but he says the timing of his new contract is coincidental.
His only focus is set on making sure the Rams maintain their strong form of recent months and continue to oversee development and progression on the football side.
He said: “It’s natural that if you do what is perceived to be a good job then, of course, there’s always going to speculation about other positions and things like that.
“For me, my focus has always been on trying to achieve something at this club and it will remain that way.
“I think it’s important for people to recognise that we’ve been talking about a new contract for three or four weeks.
“Without the recent speculation I’m sure it would have come to a natural conclusion anyway. It’s something we have been discussing and keen to try and achieve.
“I’m pleased to get it all done and now we can crack on with the job in hand, which is to maintain the run of form we’re in and push to improve all aspects of the football side of the club.”
On Derby’s promotion aspirations, Rowett believes his side may need to improve their form in the second half of the campaign given the quality of sides at the top end of the table.
That said, the Rams’ boss says it’s vital his players don’t look too far ahead and start over-thinking the position they find themselves in.
He said: “Our target is to maintain our form and stay in the top two positions, but we are mindful that there are some very good teams around us.
“If anything we are probably going to have to improve our form to do that. There’s an awful lot of work to do but our main focus is not to worry too much about our position or think too much about what’s the reward at the end of the season.
“We want to enjoy the football we’re playing at the moment and maintain the standards and our humility.”
