3/1 To Win
Andre Wisdom has welcomed what he describes as the ‘healthy competition’ for the right-back position at Derby County.
Wisdom, 24, and the experienced Chris Baird, 36, have been battling it out for a place in manager Gary Rowett’s starting line-up.
The pair have shared the duties between them over the course of the campaign while Craig Forsyth and Marcus Olsson have enjoyed a similar situation at left-back.
Wisdom has made 24 appearances in all competitions this term while Baird, who recently completed a three-match suspension after being sent-off the 3-3 draw at Reading last month, has made 18.
Former England Under-21 international Wisdom, still very much in the early years of his career, believes the former Northern Ireland international is a professional to look up to.
The 24-year-old is also convinced that the competition for places right across the team is something that can only bring out the best in Derby’s players.
Wisdom told RamsTV: “Every team needs healthy competition and it’s good to have Bairdy here.
“He is a great lad and a very experienced professional as well.
“Sometimes I say to him ‘I don’t know how you do it’. I come in from training sometimes exhausted and he’s plodding along just fine despite having ten years on me!”
He added: “I think every position on the pitch across the team has that and it can only push you on and make you fight for your place in the team.”
Wisdom has made 62 appearances for Derby across two separate spells with the Rams after enjoying a season-long loan deal at Pride Park Stadium back in 2013/14.
