Louie Sibley

Louie Sibley's rise to the first team was at meteoric pace, so it's sometimes hard to remember the 2023/24 campaign will be only his fourth as a professional footballer.

Sibley, who won the club's 2017/18 Academy Player of the Year, has been with the Rams since joining the Under-8s and, despite being a second-year scholar, he penned professional terms ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

Sibley’s rise through the Academy saw him become an established member of the Under-21s squad whilst still a first-year scholar, while he also impressed in the Under-18s as they were named as National Champions.

The attack-minded midfielder made his senior debut off the bench in the Carabao Cup in the early stages of the 2019/20 season, before reverting back to the Under-21s to continue his development.

He also featured, and starred, for the Under-19s in their UEFA Youth League campaign and scored a crucial goal in the knockout stages as Derby defeated German giants Borussia Dortmund.

His fine form at Academy level saw him knocking on the first-team door and he made his league bow off the bench at Reading towards the end of 2019. A handful of FA Cup outings followed, including a Man of the Match display against Premier League Manchester United in March 2020.

Sibley was handed his first-ever league start a few days after the Manchester United game, and he marked it with a stunning long-range strike in a 3-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers which was later crowned as the club’s Goal of the Season.

He netted a first-ever senior hat-trick in Derby’s 3-2 win at Millwall in June 2020, the side’s first behind-closed-doors game as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he was a regular in the closing weeks of the season.

Shortlisted for the Sky Bet Championship’s Player of the Month for June, Sibley scored the Rams’ final goal of the 2019/20 season with a fine long-range effort in a 3-1 victory at Birmingham City.

Sibley concluded the season with 17 first-team appearances to his name, as well as six goals, and was shortlisted for the Sammy Crooks Young Player of the Season accolade. In addition, he was also named as Derby’s Scholar of the Season for his work both on and off the field.

The 2020/21 campaign, his first as a professional, proved to be slightly more difficult for the youngster as the Rams struggled in the Sky Bet Championship. He made 32 appearances in all competitions and provided two assists along the way.

He scored one goal during the season, which proved to be an important one as he curled a late leveller against promotion-chasing Brentford to earn a valuable point for the Rams in a 2-2 draw.

During the 2021/22 campaign, Sibley made 28 appearances, scoring two goals in all competitions. He scored in an EFL Cup defeat against Sheffield United, whilst he scored a late winner against Peterborough United at Pride Park in February.

In 2022/23, his fourth campaign for the Rams at senior level, he made 52 appearances, including a number at left-back due to injuries in the squad. He scored six goals and provided two assists across the course of the season.

Sibley has also represented England at Under-17s, Under-18s and Under-19s level in recent seasons.