ACADEMY NEWS: Eight Academy prospects commit to Rams ahead of 2025/26 season

Eight Derby County Academy prospects have signed their first-ever professional contracts with the club ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The group of Academy players have signed on the dotted line to continue their journeys with the club after joining as first-year scholars in 2023.

They join 15 other players already tied down to contracts to link up with the Rams' Under-21 squad ahead of the new season after impressing at Under-18 level.

The Under-18s finished fourth in the Premier League - North last season with 14 wins and two draws from 24 games.

The Under-21s, managed by Danny Maye, will compete in Premier League 2 and the Premier League Cup once again in the 2025/26 season, alongside some of the biggest clubs’ academies across the country, including Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.

There will also be opportunities for the players to feature for the newly-formed B Team, who will be led by Keith Briggs and compete in the Central League and Derbyshire Senior Cup.

The players committing their futures to the Rams are as follows:

Harley Price - Goalkeeper

Shot-stopper Price joined as a first-year scholar in summer 2023 and has been on the books of the Rams since Under-12s level. He featured 18 times in the Under-18 Premier League and three times in the FA Youth Cup for Danny Maye’s side last season, as well as four outings for the Under-21s in PL2 and the Premier League Cup. Additionally, Price had a youth experience loan with AFC Telford United towards the end of last season.

Luke Banks - Defender

Banks’ performances in defence for the Under-18s last season earned him the Scholar of the season award at the club’s End of Season Dinner, as he made 12 league appearances for the Under-18s in the Premier League and scored three goals in black and white.

Adisa Osayande - Defender

Osayande provided two goals and an assist as he made 16 league appearances in the heart of defence for the Under-18s last term. The dominant centre-back also made 10 outings for the Under-21s in Premier League 2 as he made the transition between the two age levels.

Isaac Gordon - Defender

Right-back Gordon joined the Rams at Under-12s level, after previously being on the books of Sheffield United. He has been deployed at wing-back 23 times in the Under-18 Premier League since joining up with the Under-18s squad in the 2022/23 campaign. Gordon also had four outings for the Under-21s last season.

Owen Eames - Midfielder

Centre midfielder Eames featured on the bench in John Eustace’s first team matchday squad on two occasions last season. The goalscoring middleman netted ten goals in 19 Under-18 Premier League appearances for the Rams last season.

Marsel Tola - Midfielder

Tola scored two goals as he featured 19 times in the Under-18 Premier League and featured for the Under-21s in two PL2 matches last season. The Albanian-born midfielder joined the Rams at Under-16 level in the 2022/23 campaign.

Justin Oguntolu - Forward

Attacker Oguntolu joined the Rams from Tottenham Hotspur at Under-16s level and became a first-year scholar in 2023. The 18-year-old bagged 13 goals and provided five assists in the Under-18 Premier League as he impressed at the top end of the pitch for Danny Maye’s side in the 2024/25 season.

Johnson Osong - Forward

Winger Osong has been on the books of the Rams since joining as an Under-11 and has since progressed through the age groups. He featured for both the Under-18s and Under-21s in the 2024/25 season, making seven appearances in the Under-18 Premier League and seven outings in Premier League 2.