Scott Loach will continue to provide cover for Derby County’s goalkeeping department during the 2023/24 season.
The 35-year-old shot-stopper has agreed a new one-year deal which will run until the summer of 2024.
Loach, who has played nearly 500 games in English football’s top five leagues, joined Derby last summer from National League side Chesterfield.
He provided cover for Joe Wildsmith and the Rams’ other senior goalkeepers over the course of the season and appeared for the first team on three occasions in the EFL Trophy.
Loach will once again provide additional cover next season, as well as passing on his significant experience in training and on matchdays, whilst working alongside Wildsmith and new recruit Josh Vickers.
The former England Under-21 international has also made no secret of his desire to move into goalkeeping coaching in the future and his role with the Rams will allow him to continue to make positive steps in this direction.
Scott Loach In Profile
Nottingham-born Loach began his career at Lincoln City after coming through their Centre of Excellence and was offered scholarship terms, having previous been on the books of Ipswich Town.
Although he didn’t appear for the Imps, he had several spells out on loan at Bourne Town, Radcliffe Olympic, Boston Town, Spalding United, Lincoln United and Grantham Town to gain experience.
Loach joined Watford in 2006, then in the Premier League, and had further spells on loan at Stafford Rangers, Morecambe and Bradford City to aid his development.
Loach broke into the Watford side in the 2008/09 campaign and made 163 appearances over the next four years the Hornets.
His next port of call was another Championship club in the form Ipswich during the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons, where he made 33 appearances, before joining Rotherham United to remain in the second tier ahead of the 2014/15 campaign. His appearances were limited with the Millers and he instead had loans at Bury in League Two and League One duo Peterborough United and Yeovil Town.
Loach returned to his hometown for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons at Notts County in League Two, while he also had a brief loan stint in the National League with York City in the latter.
Over the last five years, Loach has been a regular in the National League with two seasons registered at Hartlepool United, where he was Players’ Player of the Year on both occasions, a further two at Barnet as well as the 2021/22 season competing for promotion with Chesterfield and has made almost 500 appearances in club football.
Loach earned 14 caps for England at Under-21 level during his time at Watford and represented the Three Lions at the Under-21 Championships in Sweden, while in 2010 he was called up to the senior England squad as cover on two occasions. In 2022, Loach represented England C, which represents the national team at non-league level, for their challenge match against Wales.
