3/1 To Win
Bobby Duncan is determined to grasp the opportunity presented to him by Derby County with both hands.
The 19-year-old England youth international striker joined Derby on a three-year contract from Serie A side Fiorentina on Friday.
Duncan, previously on the books of Premier League clubs Manchester City and Liverpool, will initially begin his Rams career with the Under-23s with a view to progressing to the first-team squad in the future.
After a year in Italy, where he experienced a different way of playing football and a new culture off the field, the teenager is relishing the prospect of returning to England.
Duncan feels Derby is the right place for him, particularly with the club holding a track record of giving young talent an opportunity at first-team level under manager Phillip Cocu.
Duncan told RamsTV: “It feels good to be here and I am excited. It is a perfect opportunity for me to get back into England and do what I know I can do best.
“I think Derby is a good club with a good structure and one that brings young talent through.
“I am hungry to do well. I know if I want to step up to the first-team that I need to do the right things off the pitch and on it as well.”
He added: “I’ve been crawling the walls for the last few months, due to the restrictions in place (for COVID-19), as I have just wanted to play football. I’m ready to go and can’t wait to get started now.”
Duncan is keen to learn from the experiences, both positive and negative, that he has faced in the last few years.
He was prolific in front of goal at Under-18s level for Liverpool and, after moving to Fiorentina a year ago, he found his game time limited.
With the formalities of his switch to Derby completed, he clearly has a focus to impress in a Rams shirt.
He said: “The last few years have been a rollercoaster, but I am here now and ready to get my head down.
“The experiences I’ve had over the last 18 months or so at Liverpool and Fiorentina are ones I believe I can learn from.
“I am passionate to score goals. I want the team to win as well, of course, and I am a team player.”
