Callum Elder has today become Derby County’s third summer signing.
Elder, who is 28, has agreed a three-year deal with the Rams until the summer of 2026 after leaving Sky Bet Championship side Hull City as a free agent this summer and he will formally join Derby on 1st July.
The left-back, who has been capped by Australia at international level, will strengthen the defensive options at Head Coach Paul Warne’s disposal for the upcoming 2023/24 Sky Bet League One season.
Elder has been promoted from League One twice in his playing career, both times as a title winner, with Hull in 2020/21 and Wigan Athletic in 2017/18. He was also named in the division’s PFA and EFL Teams of the Season for the 2020/21 campaign whilst on the books of Hull.
Callum Elder In Profile
Born in Sydney, Australia, Elder turned out for Manly United in his homeland before being offered a scholarship by Leicester City in 2011. Elder went on to sign professional terms with the Foxes in 2013 and remained on their books until the summer of 2019 and, although he failed to make a competitive appearance for the Foxes, he did enjoy several positive spells out on loan.
His professional debut came in League Two as he linked up with Mansfield Town on loan for the second half of the 2014/15 season and played 21 times in all competitions. A step up to League One followed in 2015/16 during a stint with Peterborough United, where he also appeared on 21 occasions and scored once, but an injury saw him return to Leicester halfway through the season.
The 2016/17 campaign resulted in Elder having two loan spells in the Championship; Brentford in the first half of the season, where he played six times, and then Barnsley during the second half of the campaign, where he appeared on five occasions.
Elder enjoyed success whilst with Wigan Athletic in a season-long loan in the 2017/18 season and he went on to record 33 appearances and one goal in all competition as the Latics claimed the League One title. He also played a part in their run to the Quarter-Finals of the FA Cup, which included a stunning 1-0 home win over Manchester City on home turf.
The defender was back at Leicester for the first half of the 2018/19 season and featured regularly in Premier League 2, but it wasn’t long until he moved out on loan to the Championship once again, spending the second half of the campaign at Ipswich Town, where he appeared five times.
Elder left Leicester in the summer of 2019 and linked up with Hull City on a permanent basis. He played 30 times in his first year with the Tigers in the Championship, while the 2020/21 campaign saw Hull promoted from League One by claiming the title. Elder was a regular in the side, playing 48 times, scoring once and registering 11 assists.
The full back was also named in the PFA League One Team of the Season and EFL League One Team of the Season for his impressive performances. Back in the Championship, Elder continued his fine form and registered 28 and 31 appearances across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons.
He left Hull at the end of his contract this summer having played 137 times, scoring once, in their colours and, in total, Elder has played 229 times in English football and scored three times.
On the international stage, Elder has one Australia cap to his name. His only appearance to date came as a substitute in a 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier against China in September 2021, having previously been capped at Under-20 level.
