Wed 25 Jun - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 9mins
The start of the 2025/26 campaign is honing into view for Derby County.
The Sky Bet Championship’s fixtures for the upcoming campaign will be revealed on Thursday lunchtime, while the draw for Round One of the Carabao Cup will follow a few hours later.
In addition, Derby’s players are checking in for their usual round of medical testing towards the end of this week ahead of pre-season training kicking off in earnest on Monday 30th June at Moor Farm Training Ground.
It’s set to be a busy six weeks, both on and off the pitch, as the Rams get set to kick off another season in English football’s second tier.
On Tuesday evening, Chief Executive Officer Stephen Pearce and Head Coach John Eustace were the special guests for a Fans’ Forum event before around 300 supporters in the Baseball Lounge at Pride Park Stadium.
The pair discussed various topics over the course of the evening and took questions both from those in the room and those unable to attend via an online submission form.
Here’s an overview of some of the topics that were addressed at the Fans’ Forum.
There is understandably a thirst from supporters to see fresh blood added to the Derby squad.
New contracts have been penned by influential centre-back Matt Clarke and the long-serving Craig Forsyth during the close-season, but the Rams are yet to confirm any new arrivals.
Pearce is anticipating things to ‘start to move’ in the transfer market with clubs now returning to pre-season training and preparations for the new campaign gathering pace.
Pearce said: “Naturally, the market normally starts with players that are free agents and then the players you have to pay fees for, or loans from Premier League clubs, always happen a bit later.
“Now, we will hopefully start to move on things.”
Eustace is eager to utilise the summer transfer window to not only add good characters to his squad but also strike the right balance between young and exciting players alongside experienced individuals.
Eustace said: “We want to attract as many good characters as possible, for me.
“The Championship is relentless, and you go on highs and lows throughout the season. It is important to have the right characters in the group to make sure we get through them together and build something very special.
“We want to attract young and exciting players to come and showcase themselves as well.”
He added: “It is about getting that right balance of players come in for me, and that’s key. A team is only as good as it’s squad.
“It’s about the squad, not eleven players or an individual. It’s about having a squad of 23-24 players and every one of them playing a key part to your success, on and off the field.
“Everyone that comes in needs to be part of the Derby County family, drive standards, wear the shirt with pride and create an elite environment.”
Derby did struggle to score goals in spells last term, scoring 48 goals in 46 league matches.
Therefore, Eustace is keen to enhance the Rams’ attacking options moving forward.
He admitted: “It is very evident that we didn’t score enough goals last year. We need some really exciting forward players who are ultimately going to score the goals for us to be successful.
“It is an area we have focused on during the summer and I know the recruitment team are working very hard to make sure we get two or three targets through the door to help us do that.”
The eagerly anticipated 2025/26 home kit reveal is not too far away at all!
Pearce confirmed that Derby’s new home shirt, once again designed and produced by PUMA, will be unveiled publicly and go on sale towards the end of next week.
Eustace predominantly lined up with Derby operating a 3-5-2 shape following his appointment in February.
That decision was largely dictated by the players he had available for selection, owing to injury and form, and what he felt was the best way to achieve results to ensure the Rams retained their Championship status.
He had previously been known for operating with a 4-2-3-1 system during his time in charge of both Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, but regularly displayed his adaptability in both roles.
Eustace wants to have a squad that is adaptable and not be predictable to the opposition.
Although he is eager to show that adaptability, Eustace was keen to stress that the team’s core principles will always remain in place.
He said: “It always depends on the players (that are available) but as a coach I am very adaptable; I’ve played 4-2-3-1 and 3-5-2.
“I find it very comfortable to change depending on what personnel we have. We did that last year and we realised what players we had and the best way to get results. We switched to 3-5-2 and we got the results.
“At the end of the day, we want to win games. I have to get a style of play that is going to win.”
He added: “Next season, I’d love to play a 4-2-3-1 again. We have to be adaptable to change to a back three if we have to and not be predictable to the opposition,
“What will be is the key principles I expect from each player; winning their duels, recovering into shape and being hard to play against. They won’t change no matter what shape we play and I want to play exciting, attacking football.”
Stephen Pearce revealed that several structural and personnel changes have taken place in the Men’s Category One Academy this summer.
The new campaign will see the club introduce a B Team model which will serve as an extension to the First Team environment, following several months of planning and approval from the Board of Directors and Head Coach John Eustace.
The Rams’ B Team will participate in the Central League and Derbyshire Senior Cup, alongside playing a number of elite senior friendly fixtures, while the Under-21s will continue to compete in Premier League 2 and the Premier League Cup.
Keith Briggs will move into the newly created role as B Team Lead Coach, which will see him manage the group throughout its new programme of fixtures, while nurturing the club’s best young players to ensure they perform the key principles and skills required by the First Team.
In addition, Keith Gilroy is joining the club as Head of Academy Coaching, Jake Buxton will move into a new role as Senior Transition Coach, Danny Maye has been promoted to the role of Senior Professional Development Phase Coach and Bradley Johnson is now stepping up to the position of Lead Under-18 Coach.
Pearce explained:“As a Category One Academy, we want to give the players the best possible opportunity and be ready to earn their place in the first team.
“We have been working with Matt Hale and his coaches, as well as John and his staff, about how we make that pathway smoother and more achievable.
“For us, this is a great step forward and help the transition moving forwards.”
It was confirmed in May that the Pride Park Stadium playing surface was to undergo a major overhaul.
The pitch came to the end of its lifespan following the 2024/25 campaign and the club has undertaken a significant rebuilding project ahead of the new season.
New SISGRASS fibres are currently being stitched into the surface, through specialist machinery, and a new sprinkler system, artificial carpet around the edge of the pitch and goal sockets have also been installed.
In addition, other improvements are currently taking place around the Rams’ home.
Pearce said: “The first team dressing room is getting a full and new modern refurb.
“It is well overdue and part of the whole culture and matchday feel to make sure the first team changing room is up to modern standard.”
He added: “Some of the signage at the front of the stadium has been taken down and we are planning what we are going to do from a heritage perspective and honouring past players.”
There is also work taking place at Moor Farm to upgrade the first team and Under-21s’ dressing rooms, as well as refresh and update the signage and interna; messaging inside the training facility.
In addition, the pitches across Moor Farm Training Ground have also been renovated in preparation for the start of pre-season training.
John Eustace is looking forward to getting down to work with his players during what will be his first pre-season as Derby’s Head Coach.
Eustace believes the build-up to the new campaign will be a key time.
He said: “We want to embed our principles on how we want to play.
“We want to get as many players in as quickly as we can (new signings) over the six weeks so they get an understanding of how we want to work.
“We want to carry on the good work from last season, really, and create that feel-good factor.”
He added: “We have to do this properly. I am here to build over the next two, three or four seasons. We want to sustain a real top-class football club where we don’t overspend to get to where we want to get to.
“We want to do it properly and go on this journey together. It is really important we build that culture and family feel that Derby County all over the country are a force to be reckoned with and do things properly. If we are competitive week-in-week-out and we can have a really good season, let’s see where it can take us.”
Eustace says a number of Academy players will join in with the first-team squad when they get down to work on the training pitches at Moor Farm Training Ground next week.
Under-21s quartet Freddie Turley, Lennon Wheeldon, Daniel Cox and Keilen Robinson and Under-18s players Johnson Osong, Charles Ebuka Agbawodikeizu, Cruz Allen and Owen Eames featured on the bench for the first team at various stages during the 2024/25 campaign.
Young striker Dajaune Brown established himself in the senior set-up, after enjoying a successful loan stint in the National League with Gateshead in 2023/24, before seeing his season was brought to an early conclusion with a hamstring injury in January.
The Derby boss has opened the door to the Rams’ young guns to catch his eye over pre-season and prove their worth.
Eustace commented: “It is important that the Academy players are good enough, we don’t want to give them minutes just to tick boxes.
“We want to develop them properly, but I am certainly not a Head Coach who just wants to please the Academy Manager and get a pat on the back.
“Over the next six weeks, seven or eight of the elite performers will be joining in with the group and will get a fantastic opportunity to try and stay in the squad and be part of it going forward.”
Out-of-contract midfielder Liam Thompson has been tabled a new deal by the club - but there was no fresh news to report on his future.
The Academy graduate was a regular in Eustace’s starting line-up in the closing stages of the 2024/25 season as the Rams preserved their Championship status.
Eustace said: “Liam was a fantastic performer last year. He is an Academy graduate and I want to Liam to stay at the football club.
“He was outstanding, that is why he played. I am a huge fan of Tommo and I want him to stay.”
