Nugent: “He Can Be The Best In The League”

David Nugent has backed Matej Vydra to prove himself as the best player in the Sky Bet Championship throughout the final seven games of the season.

The forward has been in sparkling form this season; scoring 18 league goals to make himself the top scorer in the division as Gary Rowett’s side look to secure a place in the top-six.

Vydra's record so far this term saw him named in the Championship Team of the Season for 2017/18 on Tuesday.

Nugent formed a strong partnership with Vydra earlier in the season and he believes that when the Czech No.10 is on his game, there is nobody better.

Speaking to RamsTV, he said: “When he wants to be, he can be the best player in the league, but he needs to be told that.

“Once he knows that he is the best in the league, he will show it, but you just need to keep on top of him sometimes.

“He needs to know that, because if the game isn’t going his way then he can drift away a little bit.”

Derby have lost just four times when Vydra and Nugent have started together this season, so, why have they combined so well?

The striker explained: “He’s a natural No.10, so he’s always in that space behind me.

“I’m the type of player that wants to get in behind and run onto balls, so that gives him the space to drop into the hole and turn.

“We have a great friendship off the pitch. I get on with Vyds really well and I think that helps. We look for eachother on the pitch, which is vital when you’re trying to build a partnership.”

The 1-0 win against Preston North End on Easter Monday was the first since Gary Rowett’s side dispatched Brentford at Pride Park Stadium back at the start of February.

Derby had been struggling to keep clean sheets until the shutout at Deepdale, and Nugent is hoping that he can continue to contribute at both ends of the pitch in the final weeks of the season.

He said: “We’ve conceded too many goals. We had a lot of clean sheets, but the goals that we have been conceding recently aren’t good enough.

“Everybody knows that, but we defend as a team and sometimes it will start from me, pressing from the front.

“It will all come together, hopefully we will start to pick up results and cement our place, as well as put pressure on the teams above us.”