INTERVIEW: Agyemang Aiming To Build On Hillsborough Brace

Derby County striker Patrick Agyemang is hoping his brace at Hillsborough can be the catalyst for a goal-laden festive period.

The United States international netted twice during Monday’s 3-0 win away at Sheffield Wednesday, taking his tally to five from his opening 17 matches as a Ram.

Now preparing for his first festive period in England – with Derby set for five games in just 16 days - Agyemang is bidding to snowball the momentum built in the Steel City last time out.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's Sky Bet Championship clash against Portsmouth at Pride Park Stadium (3pm kick-off), the 25-year-old told RamsTV just how excited he is to immerse himself in the hectic Christmas calendar on the pitch.

On Building Momentum:

The Sheffield Wednesday win was good. We're just trying to be as confident as possible and focus on what we've worked on in training throughout the week.

On a personal note, it felt good to help the team get the result and it was a great feeling [to score twice]. I just want to build off that.

On Adjusting To The Championship:

The physicality is definitely intense, it's a lot. So is the intensity of matches, and how much the referees let things go. You just have to learn, adapt, and go from there.

The main thing for me was adjusting to how my body was feeling after my [hernia] operation at the start of the season. It takes time, it doesn't just fix quickly, so that was also in play.

On Enjoying The Battle:

I know a lot of times when I play, it's going to be physical. That's the game, but I play a physical game as well. I know defenders are going to match it and more, so I always have to be up for the fight.

When it's winning one-on-ones in terms of shoulder-to-shoulder, I think I can win. It gets tricky when the ball is on the ground; I get tripped up a lot because I’ve got longer legs. That's where I have to just keep my head.

On His First Experience Of The Festive Fixture List:

When I was at home in the States, I watched the games on Boxing Day and across Christmas. I enjoyed watching it as a fan, but now that I'm part of it, I understand that it's part of the culture. That's why I think the game here is so passionate, because of how focused it is.

It's going to be a grind. It's a lot of games in a small amount of time, but I'm going to be up for it. I know it's going to be different because I've never done it, but I'll be ready for what's to come.

On Looking To End 2025 At Home On A High Against Pompey:

At the end of the day, it's up to us to go and do what we can on the pitch and show what we know we can do.

As long as we do what we can control and focus on ourselves, I know we can get the result and just continue to build a run. We’ve done it once this season, so we are capable of doing it again.