Derby County captain Curtis Davies says winning is everything at this stage of the Sky Bet League One season.


The Rams' nearest rivals Burton Albion are the visitors to Pride Park Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off) and whilst the match will have an edge to it, the skipper says that the opponents are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

Davies spoke to RamsTV to give his thoughts on Saturday and the final three games of the campaign with Derby looking to break back into the top six and secure a play-off spot.


On how the dressing room are feeling ahead of the run-in...

A lot better than we did on Saturday! I think hanging on for 95 minutes at Bristol Rovers and then conceding that penalty for them to make it 1-1 was harsh - it almost felt like a loss.

Going into the Exeter game on Tuesday, it made it even more important that we got three points and we managed to do so with the 2-1 win. It was a performance in which we rarely looked in danger. I wouldn't say we had a lot of the ball but we were always in control I think.

Didzy's first goal was magic and then the second one was similar to the Bristol Rovers one - he's the most composed man on the pitch.

We wanted six points going into these last three games but would we have taken four points? Probably, yes.


On David McGoldrick...

His ability alone is as good as anyone I've played with but his impact on the team and how important he is, he's right there.

I knew all along he was way too good for this level. We're fortunate that he lives close to Derby and wanted to sign for a club close to home. I've ran out of superlatives to describe him because he's magic. He's a special player and he's a good person.

It helps when you've got a good player but when you've got a person that's part of the team unity, he brings a lot more than just his ability.


On McGoldrick's impact in the dressing room...

He's a person that people warm to. He's a family man so he can get in there with the older ones but he's still in there with the younger ones because he still likes his clothes and likes to enjoy his life. I think he's a good rounded person and I think that's why people gravitate towards him.


On Burton Albion's visit this weekend...

We could have been playing anyone on Saturday, it's about winning the game.

We're currently out of the play-offs on goal difference and it's not in our hands so we have to go and win every game.

In terms of the two of us, Burton are the form team going into this. They'll bring a decent crowd. Our crowd will turn up like they usually do but regardless of it being a local derby, it's about winning a game of football and by hook or crook, we need to get those three points and make sure we get over the line.

Ultimately it's not time for bragging rights, it's just about getting the points to get us into the top six and start pushing towards the play-offs.


On the team's current momentum...

You need to step into the play-offs rather than stumble in, so hopefully we can step into them in good form and I've always said all along, with our group and the experience in there - I like to think we'd have enough to get over the line.