3/1 To Win
Duane Holmes is convinced his best is still to come in a Derby County shirt ahead of the start of the 2020/21 season.
The 25-year-old is approaching his third season with the Rams following his arrival at the beginning of the 2018/19 campaign from Scunthorpe United under former manager Frank Lampard.
Holmes recovered from a quad injury, sustained at the end of his first season in a Derby shirt, to become a regular in manager Phillip Cocu’s side last term.
He was, arguably, in his best form at the beginning of 2020 which his energetic and lively displays a driving force as the Rams edged their way up the Sky Bet Championship table.
Holmes suffered a setback in February, however, as a broken leg – sustained in a 1-1 draw against his former club Huddersfield Town at Pride Park Stadium – sidelined him for several weeks.
He made his comeback following the three-month suspension of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before a hamstring injury brought a premature end to his campaign in July.
The United States of America international midfielder has shown what he is capable of in his 68 outings since becoming a Derby player – and he wants to showcase his ability on a more regular basis this time around.
“I want to be fit for the full season,” Holmes told RamsTV.
“I have had a lot of issues since I joined. I don’t think everyone has seen the best of me personally because I’m always in and out, trying to stay fit.
“It’s something I’m working on. I want to do the best I can for the team and work as hard as I can to be the best version of myself.”
He added: “I started playing some good stuff from January onwards last season. I felt I was just hitting my stride and then I broke my leg, which was disappointing, but that sort of thing can’t be helped.
“I came back after lockdown and probably wasn’t fit enough, which showed in my performances. I was disappointed in how I ended the season as I set myself high standards, but I didn’t reach them.”
Holmes got 60 minutes of match time under his belt on Tuesday evening as Derby faced Premier League outfit Sheffield United at Pride Park Stadium.
Derby tasted a 2-0 defeat to Chris Wilder’s side in a worthwhile workout in their final friendly ahead of the new campaign getting underway.
For Holmes, it was an opportunity to get back to playing in a match situation and despite those minutes being his first of pre-season, he is raring to go.
“I have worked really hard in pre-season,” Holmes said.
“I had a little worry with my quad but it was more of a precaution from the manager and the physios to keep me in the background and work hard at the training ground and not push myself in the games.
“I played 60 minutes against Sheffield United and felt I could do longer, so I feel I am fit and ready to go. I just want to stay injury free and be the best version of myself that I can be.”
