Central defender Matt Clarke believes he is making good strides in his development and is benefitting hugely from his season-long loan spell with Derby County.
The Brighton & Hove Albion loanee has made 23 appearances for the Rams this season in all competitions and scored one goal.
That came in a 1-0 victory over Hull City last month at Pride Park Stadium, a place where the Rams have enjoyed a lot of success during the campaign so far as they boast the second-best home record in the Sky Bet Championship.
Clarke has been a regular fixture in the side since he made his debut against tomorrow’s opponents Huddersfield Town on the opening day of the season.
He missed two months of the season with a knee injury but has slotted straight back into the side and feels he is learning in every game.
“It takes you a little bit of time to get back up to speed but for me personally I feel I am doing alright,” he told RamsTV, previewing Derby’s home fixture against the Terriers on Saturday (3pm kick off).
“I am trying to learn and do better game by game and I feel like it’s going alright. It’s been a bit frustrating with the injury. It’s hard to feel like you’re having a positive season when the team haven’t kicked on so there are always things to work on.
“That’s what I’m trying to do game by game and I haven’t looked at the bigger picture yet. I suppose that is for the end of the season but for me, it’s about training well, and performing well in every game but I’m comfortable with my development.
“You would like it to be seamless and happen naturally, but it always takes time. There are bumps on that road but it’s about taking it game by game, learning as much as I can and looking to improve.
“I speak to Brighton regularly and overall they are happy. They understand that it has been a transitional period for me as well and there have been mistakes but that’s what football is all about. It’s about how you deal with them and how you learn from them.”
