Derby County released their retained list today, revealing that contract talks are underway with Craig Forsyth and Liam Thompson.
Derby County achieved their goal of Championship survival this term, fighting until the final day of the season to secure their spot in the second tier for the 2025/26 campaign. A 0-0 draw with Stoke City was enough for DCFC to finish 19th and avoid the drop.
The division that DCFC found themselves in come May was always bound to have an impact on their end-of-season retained list and, as such, eight players have been let go.
Four of the Rams’ League One promotion-winning squad have seen their time at Pride Park come to an end in the form of Tyrese Fornah, Sonny Bradley, Tom Barkhuizen, and Conor Washington. The quartet are joined by Rohan Luthra, Erik Pieters, Jeff Hendrick, and Kemar Roofe in saying goodbye to the club.
However, of the remaining three players whose contracts were also set to expire, Kane Wilson has seen a one-year extension triggered, while veteran defender Craig Forsyth and academy graduate Liam Thompson have been offered new terms.
Deserving of new Derby County deals
Both Forsyth and Thompson played their part as Derby County miraculously avoided the drop under new boss John Eustace.
Forsyth, whose association with DCFC now spans over 12 years, turned 36 in February yet has shown no signs of slowing down. The Scotsman seemingly continues to get better with age, having put in a series of impressive displays over his 39 Championship outings last term. Chipping in with three goals and four assists, he has proven instrumental at both ends of the pitch.
As for Thompson, the 23-year-old seriously stepped up for the Rams this season following the appointment of Eustace. In total, the midfielder featured 28 times in the second tier, with his minutes heavily increasing under the former Blackburn Rovers manager.
His time in the first-team picture at Pride Park has often swayed; he even found himself out on loan in the National League under previous boss Paul Warne. However, his efforts have been matched with performances impressive enough to remain at the club should he wish to do so.
Differing offers
It goes without saying that the terms offered to Forsyth and Thompson are not likely to be similar. The former is 13 years older than the latter, for starters.
As much as Derby County supporters might not want to accept it, Forsyth is, of course, approaching the end of his career. Another one-year deal with the club would see him through to the age of 37 next summer, and it is unrealistic to expect an initial contract to be any longer than that.
As for Thompson, he is still in the early stages of his career. Having said that, he is no longer an emerging talent and is very much a capable squad player. It will likely be a tougher choice for the Englishman to make, as a potential rebuild or switch of styles could see his playing time limited.
He is likely to have a three- or four-year contract on the table should he choose to accept. The question now comes down to whether or not his preference is to stay put and fight for his place or seek guaranteed first-team football elsewhere.
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