Thu 13 Jan - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 2mins
Wayne Rooney has confirmed that striker Sam Baldock will leave Derby County when his short-term contract comes to an end next week.
The 32-year-old joined Rams as a free agent back in August to provide a further option for Rooney to call upon in attack after spending pre-season training with the squad.
Baldock will leave Derby after scoring twice in 14 appearances in all competitions, including a debut strike in the 1-0 win at Hull City 24 hours after putting pen-to-paper.
Rooney said: “Sam was a player I felt we needed here with his energy, his pace in behind and he’s been brilliant.
“He has been a big part of what I’ve been trying to build in terms of having a good dressing room and he has been brilliant around the dressing room with all the lads.
“He’s a good character but unfortunately it hasn’t quite worked out on the pitch and I’ve made the decision not to keep him with us for the second half of the season. I wish him all the best in wherever he ends up.”
He added: “This is my decision; nobody else has made this decision and it’s me purely from a football point of view. It’s always tough when you have to make those decisions as a manager, but they are decisions that I have to make.”
Derby County would like to wish Sam every success in his future career and thank him for his efforts on and off the pitch.
