When the season comes to an end, Derby County will have to make a lot of contract decisions. One player in particular deserves a new contract.
Derby is just a short distance away from winning the championship. Their only task on Saturday is to draw with Carlisle United in order to secure promotion.
However, as Paul Warne anticipates seeing numerous players leave at the conclusion of their contracts, transfer arrangements will be made behind the scenes in preparation for the window to reopen.
Derby has the oldest team in League One, but if Dwight Gayle (34), Scott Loach (35) and Craig Forsyth (35) go on, the average age of their team will drop significantly.
Of the twelve players on the verge of leaving the club, three are Gayle, Loach, and Forsyth. This number rises if Warne’s team plays in the second division the following year.
The Derby manager may decide to hold onto a few players, including Louie Sibley, who graduated from the academy, James Collins, who leads the team in scoring, and Joe Wildsmith, the goalie.
Derby County ought to continue Joe Wildsmith
July 2022 saw the signing of Wildsmith, the second player under David Clowes, from Sheffield Wednesday on a two-year deal.
The 28-year-old, who started every one of their 46 league games the previous season, is still their top player this year. Due to Josh Vickers’ injury, Warne’s backup goalie, he has only missed six games.
The £5.1k-per-week star is a fantastic shot-blocker, despite his questionable play when the ball is in his hands. His outstanding save during the goalless draw against Wycombe Wanderers gave The Rams a point.
This season, the Derby number one has amassed an amazing 19 clean sheets in 39 games. Warne has praised his excellent saves in the 1-0 victory over Bolton as “unbelievable.”
At Pride Park, Wildsmith, who previously played as a backup goalkeeper for Sheffield Wednesday, has developed a close bond with the central defenders Curtis Nelson and Eiran Cashin.
Derby County needs to maintain the key trio’s unity.
Lukas Jensen, the goalie for Lincoln City, and Wildsmith are competing for the Golden Glove. Both teams are deadlocked with 19 clean sheets apiece, with Derby’s defense duo playing a major role in that number.
Nelson and Cashin have been Warne’s outstanding backfield players, setting the bar high for the other players.
Derby has demonstrated this season that, as the cliche goes, you can’t win a promotion without having a solid defense.
The basis of their success has been their mutual understanding as a team and with Wildsmith.
Warne will want to strengthen his defensive line, but he can’t sacrifice Nelson, Cashin, and Wildsmith—three players who should be able to play meaningful football in the Championship.
GET MORE NEWS HERE