3/1 To Win
Longevity is sometimes hard to come by in modern football, but Scottish midfielder Craig Bryson is someone that bucks that trend.
Signed from Kilmarnock in the summer of 2011, Bryson made his 250th appearance in a Derby County shirt in the 2-1 victory at Hull City last weekend.
In those seven years as a Ram, Bryson has seen the club evolve and also experience the ups and downs that come with being a professional footballer.
From scoring a hat-trick against fierce rivals Nottingham Forest to heartbreaking defeat to Queens Park Rangers in the play-off final at Wembley, Bryson sat down with RamsTV to discuss and dissect his Derby County career to date.
“I just remember the bid getting accepted from Kilmarnock and everyone in my family being delighted that I had the chance to go down to England,” said the midfielder, reflecting on his arrival.
“I’ve never really looked back since and everything has gone well and the way I’ve wanted it to go. I just wanted to come down here and play as many games as I could.
“I wanted to establish myself as a first team regular as soon as I could. When you come from the Scottish league you never really know how well it’s going to go.
“I was living away from family and friends and I was getting used to a new league and new country so there is a lot of things that go with it. It’s not just about turning up and playing football and I think as a footballer and a professional you must believe in yourself.
“I always thought I could come down and do well but you never know until you get the chance. It helped that I played in games in the Scottish Premier League and I had that level of experience instead of coming down when I was young.”
It did not take long for Bryson to have an impact. “I can remember scoring away at Blackpool in the first couple of games that I played and that settled me down,” he said.
“I can remember just coming down and players were bigger and quicker and I had to adapt. I did a lot of gym work because I had to. I was quite small but I’ve got a lot better at that over the years and I feel that I belong here.”
Then came one of Bryson’s finest hours in a Derby County shirt. A hat-trick against Nottingham Forest in a 5-0 victory in March 2014, something that further endeared him to the Rams faithful.
“They have been excellent with me ever since I’ve been at the club,” Bryson admitted. “They’ve always backed me, they have always got behind me.
“Any time I meet a fan in the street or in the shopping centre, they always seem happy with me and they want me to stay and that builds confidence. I can’t thank them enough for their support over the years that I’ve been here.
“It’s definitely my second home. I will always be a Derby fan until the day I die now and if I’m lucky enough to have kids then they will be Derby fans. I’m not saying that for the sake of it, just so the fans will like me, I genuinely mean it.
“My family feel the same about the club. It’s the first time I moved down anywhere with my girlfriend, who is now my wife, so we have a lot of history down here. All my family loves coming down and that will continue until the day I die.”
And to the present. Frank Lampard is the seventh manager Bryson has now played under at Pride Park Stadium and he recalled a poignant moment in recent months which he holds dear to him.
“New managers always want to have a look at every player, but I think the first day the gaffer got the job he wanted to phone me,” he said. “I spoke to him that day and he told me that he wanted me to stay at the club.
“I think that was nice of him and it showed how much he wanted me. He had so much on having just been announced as manager and it was his first job, he could have left it and waited until pre-season but he wanted to speak to me on the first day and that made my mind up.”
