Tue 15 Jul - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 5mins
Jake Buxton believes Derby County will benefit in several ways during the 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship season from their pre-season training camp in Austria this week.
The squad’s week-long stay in the region of Tyrol began on Monday and will conclude with a pre-season friendly against Austrian Bundesliga side FC Red Bull Salzburg on Friday (6pm kick-off local time) ahead of returning home.
Buxton, who took up the position of Senior Transition Coach on John Eustace’s staff this summer, is looking forward to seeing the positives from the trip abroad in the weeks and months ahead.
Well-versed with training camps during his playing career, Buxton knows only too well what they can do for the togetherness within the squad further down the line.
Buxton made 159 appearances for the Rams and scored on 13 occasions between 2009 and 2016 as a player, including a memorable late winner at home to local rivals Nottingham Forest in March 2012.
The popular central defender was also a key part of the Derby side that reached the Championship 2014 Play-Off Final and played alongside Eustace during the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons.
Now, after working in the Academy in recent years and most-recently serving as Under-21 Lead Coach, he is enjoyed the next chapter in his career as a coach.
Speaking to RamsTV in Austria, Buxton said: “It has been excellent two days so far.
“We had a travelling day yesterday along with a start-up session. The facilities here are amazing, along with the hotel and the scenery.
“We’ve had good sessions today and worked the boys hard. They’ve applied themselves really well and we’re pleased.”
He added: “When you come away on pre-season camps, it can really help with the togetherness and that bond. It can only help with the new players brought into the building and the youngsters too.”
A number of players from the club’s Academy set-up have made the journey to Austria.
Rio Canoville, Charles Ebuka Agbawodikeizu, Tristan Gill, Isaac Gordon, Justin Oguntolu, Jack Perry, Darren Robinson, Keilen Robinson, Jack Thompson, Freddie Turley and Lennon Wheeldon were all included in the travelling party.
Buxton says it is a chance for the youngsters to grasp the opportunity to shine in front of Eustace and his coaching staff.
He said: “The numbers we’ve got in the group is tremendous.
“It is a real opportunity for those players to join in daily and train with the squad.
“The gaffer wants young and talented players with the group and hopefully those players can grasp the chance to stay with the squad when we return home at the end of the week.”
Buxton’s role on the coaching team has fallen in line several structural and personnel changes in the club’s Category One Academy.
The new campaign will see the club utilise a B Team model which will serve as an extension to the senior environment, following several months of planning.
The 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 has moved 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.
Buxton worked extensively with the first team during the latter stages of the 2024/25 campaign and his new role will see him concentrate on individual player development with first-team players and also high-potential Academy players who are making the transition into the senior environment.
He explained: “The job is very much about helping the transition process for the young players from the B Team and Under-21s into the first-team fold.
“They all have individual development programmes in place and it is about ensuring they have what they need both on and off the field.
“On top of that, I am working with the first-team players on their individual development plans.
“It is important, no matter what age, that players see a plan to improve them with goals in mind and work on their strengths.”
He added: “The B Team is very much focussed on making sure the games programme is as close as possible to the first team environment. That means playing up against senior players. Therefore, it is important we pick and choose the right opposition to challenge the players.
“We will mix some of the senior players in, when they aren’t getting minutes in the first team, alongside the high-potential players in the Academy. It is another way of developing players and seeing where they are at, alongside potentially going out on loan, and giving them the best possible programme.”
Buxton linked up with the senior staff towards the back end of the 2024/25 season following Eustace’s appointment as Head Coach in February.
Derby hauled themselves out of the Championship relegation zone to finish the campaign in 19th spot, a point clear of the bottom three, and retain their place in English football’s second tier.
A fine run of form saw the Rams go from seven points adrift at the bottom of the table at the start of March to safety inside just eight weeks.
Buxton says the full focus now is on moving forward and building on the positives that were on display at the back end of last term.
He said: “We had a tremendous end to last season, and it was a great achievement for the players and staff involved to keep the club in the Championship.
“It was an amazing end to the season, but we’re moving on now and moving forward. We’re hoping to have a good start to the new campaign and be competitive in the Championship.”
