Hanson Happy To Play His Part

Jamie Hanson was delighted to help play his part in Derby County’s 2-0 home win over Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

The 20-year-old Academy graduate made his first appearance of the campaign as Steve McClaren’s men claimed all three points against the Owls.

After being sidelined with a shoulder injury at the back end of last season, and then subsequently a hamstring injury sustained with the club’s Under 23s in September, Hanson has had to wait patiently for his return to first-team action.

In what was his first appearance at senior level since April, Hanson admitted to having pre-match nerves ahead of Saturday’s game.

Those nerves, however, didn’t show as Hanson played the entire game in the holding midfield role and served up an impressive display.

With Craig Bryson injured and Will Hughes suspended, Hanson grasped the opportunity to shine in the middle of the park alongside Bradley Johnson and Jacob Butterfield.

Speaking to RamsTV today, Hanson said: “I fully enjoyed being out on the pitch again, especially because it was at home.

“I felt quite nervous because I hadn’t played for a while but, on the whole, I thought I played alright and did a job for the team to get all three points.

“I had an early shot which helped the nerves, I thought it was in when I hit it, and after that I felt like I was back to where I was last season.

“I had an injury at the end of last season which carried over into pre-season, so I’ve had to keep my head down and take my chance when it came.”

He added: “My aim now is to to stay around the squad, even if that means being on the bench. If I can remain in and around the team then hopefully, long-term, I can get more games under my belt.”

McClaren was full of praise for Hanson’s display in his post-match media duties on Saturday and spoke of the trust that he has in the youngster.

The Derby boss gave Hanson his professional debut back in March 2015 and it proved to be a day to remember as he scored direct from a corner in a 1-1 draw at Norwich City.

The England youth international is pleased to have the opportunity to work with McClaren again as he looks to continue to develop his game.

He said:“It was nice to hear the manager say that he had trust in me and I know the other players do as well.

“I felt like I could do a job and was confident by being named in the team.

“It was a real boost to step into the side and hopefully I can keep doing well in training and in games when I can.

“It’s great that Steve McClaren is back at the club. I think I will benefit from that and I am sure the other lads will too, especially with the way he wants to play.”

Hanson says Derby must follow up their victory over Sheffield Wednesday when they head to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

In front of the live TV cameras, Hanson believes it is a chance for the Rams to show that they are moving in the right direction after picking up seven points from the four league games since McClaren returned for a second spell in charge last month.

“Sheffield Wednesday are a big club in this division and a good team, so it was an important win for us at the weekend,”said Hanson.

“We feel that it put a bit of a marker down for us and we need to build on that result now.

“We’ve got Wolves on Saturday in front of the cameras and, with other teams watching, it’s a chance to show that we’re back to our best.”