Although the transfer window may have closed, some clubs may still consider entering the free-agent market.
There are also plenty of goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and strikers who have been left in transfer limbo — and some of those waiting for the phone to ring have Derby County connections.
There are some familiar names on the list of English players still hoping for a deal to be shoved under their noses, and it’s surprising that nobody has taken a chance on a couple of them, given their backgrounds.
But with the season already reaching October, the hopes of a deal will fade by the day, given the time it will take to whip them into shape. Here DerbyshireLive looks at just six players with Rams connections who will be hoping for somebody to put a deal on the table.
Martyn Waghorn
Was released by Derby at the end of last season having played his part in the club’s promotion push. He left Pride Park with a medal around his neck, and his hat-trick against Peterborough in a 4-2 victory at the beginning of the season showed a devastating array of finishing.
Many presumed that would kickstart a run for Waghorn that would lead him to the magical 20-goal barrier but it didn’t quite happen for him. However he more than played his part with seven goals across the course of the campaign and he did feature in 27 games for Paul Warne’s side after signing on a free transfer last summer.
However, the former Rangers and Sunderland striker is still waiting for his next move, and there were rumours that Carlisle were keen on taking him but nothing materialised . The forward has kept in shape with the PFA this summer but has yet to find a new home.
Tyreece John-Jules
A player with undeniable quality and proved as much during a loan spell from Arsenal at Derby last season. But the flashes of genius were outweighed by injuries that severely dented his hopes of becoming a mainstay in the team.
Paul Warne was a big fan of the striker who came off the bench to score with virtually his first touch in a 1-0 win at Port Vale last season which meant he left his mark in the club’s return to the Championship. But a hamstring injury suffered against Reading was a heartbreaking moment for the striker who was released by the Gunners in the summer. He recently went to watch Derby when they played Watford, but it was purely as a spectator. The 23-year-old is too good and too young to not be given a chance elsewhere. Would be a tragic tale if John-Jules is not given the chance to revive his career.
Kwaku Oduroh
Derby fans may recall how Oduroh earned himself a contract at Derby in the summer of 2022 when he impressed in a pre-season friendly against Bradford City. But his hopes of becoming a regular in the first team at Derby never came to fruition.
Spent a chunk of last season on loan at National League Rochdale and it was no real surprise to see him released by Derby given the volume of contenders who can play right-back. Having arrived from Manchester City where he came through their academy, he just needs a break.
Bobby Duncan
The forward signed for Derby after leaving Fiorentina in 2020. He started out at Liverpool before leaving for Serie A – a move he has since regretted. The 23-year-old never made a senior appearance at Derby but was once touted as a player with real talent who had the potential to follow in the footsteps of some great Liverpool strikers.
The circumstances surrounding his exit from Anfield perhaps didn’t help matters. After he left the Rams, he went to try his luck in Spain with Linense. That move didn’t really work out for him either, and for a player who showed so much promise in his career at Liverpool, it’s a regrettable tale.
Cyrus Christie
The full-back was released by Hull City at the end of last season but has so far been unable to land himself a new club. But Swansea, managed by former Notts County boss Luke Williams, are taking a closer look at the defender who, if he impresses, could secure a deal.
Christie has a wealth of experience in the Championship and has joined Adam Reach, the former Middlesbrough winger, in a bid to secure a move to Swansea. Christie (32) made 28 appearances for Hull last season as they failed to make the playoffs, sparking the departure of former Rams boss Liam Rosenior.
He spent three years at Derby, joining the club in 2017 from Coventry City for an undisclosed fee. He went on to make more than 100 league appearances for the club before moving to Middlesbrough and then Fulham. Nottingham Forest signed him on loan in 2020, and he then had another spell at Swansea. He joined Hull in August 2022 and has 455 senior appearances to his name. He could easily do a job in the Championship.
Of all the players on this list, it is a major surprise that Hendrick does not have a club. He left Newcastle United in the summer and is still looking for his next club. Hendrick came through Derby’s academy, joining the club at 16 and making 124 appearances at Pride Park.
His best campaign for Derby came in the 2014/15 season when scored seven goals and registered eight assists. A £10m to Burnley followed after their promotion to the Premier League after 139 games he was on his way to the Magpies on a free transfer in 2020. The move never worked out as he made just 27 appearances in four years, a spell that saw him loaned out to QPR, Reading, and more recently, Sheffield Wednesday. Another player that really should have a club by now.
Like Our News Check Our Home Page
Be the first to comment