PRE-MATCH INTERVIEW: ‘I'm excited to play in front of the sensational Pride Park crowd’ - Yates

Striker Jerry Yates says he’s looking forward to playing his first competitive match for Derby County at Pride Park Stadium after experiencing the ‘sensational’ atmosphere against Middlesbrough from the stands two weeks ago.

The Rams will play their final game before the first international break of the 2024/25 campaign when they host Bristol City at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off). To find out more about tickets for the clash with the Robins, click here.

The on-loan striker was in the stands forDerby’s 1-0 win over Middlesbrough two weeks ago after being out of contention at the start of the season as he served a three-match suspension that carried over from the final game of last season when he was playing for parent club Swansea City.

Yates played his first competitive match minutes for Paul Warne’s side against Watford last weekend after being named in the starting line-up for the 2-1 loss at Vicarage Road.

Yates spoke to RamsTV before trainingon Thursday morning to discuss getting his first minutes in black and white, his relationship with Derby's coaching staff and looking forward to playing in front of the home crowd.

On making his first appearance against Watford…

I was delighted. To be chucked in straight away, it was a bit of a surprise to me. You've got to take that opportunity with both hands. It was a tough game, Watford are a good side. We could have been a bit braver, maybe, but we’ve got to get on now and be ready to go again.

On having to watch from the sidelines for the first few games…

It was weird. Watching the first game on TV, I was itching to play. I'm lucky, because if it had just been games on Saturdays then I could have been out for three weeks. It's come around quickly and I am happy to be back.

On being ready to get going on the pitch…

I think everything takes time, but I feel in a good place. I feel fit. I haven’t missed a training session with the lads. I've been doing extras and a lot of runs and stuff like that. I feel right where I need to be. Maybe there’s a bit of match sharpness to catch up on, but I feel more than ready.