“An absolute dream player” – Igor Stimac, Derby County claim made

FLW’s Derby County fan pundit believes that former centre-back Igor Stimac would be a dream player for the Rams to have at their disposal now, when asked which former player would best fit their current starting XI.

Stimac joined the Rams in 1995 from Hadjuk Split in his homeland, and he had a successful four-year spell at The Baseball Ground and Pride Park, helping the club reach the Premier League in 1996 before cementing their status in the top-flight.

 

The Croatian international would join West Ham United in 1999, bringing down the curtain on what was a fruitful spell in the East Midlands, and it’s clear that the former defender is still well-liked by the Pride Park faithful.

Igor Stimac deemed the player who would most improve the current Derby side

Our Derby County fan pundit, Shaun Woodward, believes that former Croatia international Stimac is the player who would most improve the current Rams side, citing his class on the ball and his leadership abilities as the reason why.

Speaking to Football League World, Shaun said: “I would have to say a player who has played for Derby since I’ve been supporting them and that would be during my best times as a Derby fan, which were under Jim Smith, in the era that we got promoted to the Premier League, and we held our own for a few years.

“So, for me, it would be Igor Stimac. I think the signing of Igor transformed the club. He was a superstar, a ball-playing centre-half, and could have easily played in central midfield. He was a true leader, inspired everyone around him, he was cultured on the ball, and he made the game look really easy.

“Any team who had a player like Igor Stimac at the back, bringing the ball out of defence, and starting attacks with his calm nature and his leadership qualities.

“He was an absolute dream player and I think he would suit our team right now.

“He’s truly one of the greats of Derby and I think he would fit in any of our great teams over the years, but particularly now, we’d love to have a player like him in our team.”

Igor Stimac is a Derby County cult-hero

Stimac signed for Derby in 1995 at a time when supporters would have known little about foreign signings from countries like Croatia, but it’s fair to say that the defender made his mark at the club.

He signed for the Rams during their time in the First Division, now known as the Championship, and he helped the club win promotion and stay in the top-flight for a number of seasons, a real high point for Derby in their modern-day history, and they’ve had just one season in the Premier League since then.

Stimac played 93 games for the Rams, and it’s clear from Shaun’s comments above that he’s still very popular with supporters.

Derby County had some real success during the late 90s and early 00s, and Stimac played a crucial role in that, meaning he’ll always be fondly remembered by those at Pride Park.

 

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