Morgan Whittaker has revealed what motivates him to succeed as Derby County’s Under-18s get set to take on West Brom in the Premier League North on Saturday, kick-off 11am.
The Rams are third in the table but are three league games without a win, and that is something that Whittaker and his teammates will be looking to put right when they travel to the West Midlands.
The forward admits that their previous result – the 3-3 draw against Middlesbrough – was a disappointment, but the team know what they must do to get back to winning ways.
He told dcfc.co.uk: “Defensively we have been very solid this season, so to concede three against Middlesbrough in the manner that we did was quite hard to take.
“We need to be positive and focus our attention on getting forward and finding the back of the net.
“I think that our final ball is the only thing missing from what have been good performances. We just need to be more clinical when it comes to that final shot or pass.”
Whittaker signed a two-year scholarship with the club in July and he’s been a regular in Rory Delap’s and Justin Walker’s Under-18 side this season.
He spoke about what drives him in his quest to become a professional footballer, highlighting the importance of using disappointment to improve as a player.
He said: “I want to start every game and when I’m on the bench, I try and use that frustration when I’m on the pitch to show that I should be starting.
“When I see my name on the bench, it does hurt and it is frustrating but I need to use that feeling to spur me on to perform.”
The game at West Brom’s training ground will be the first for the squad since the end of September, and the 16-year-old thinks that the break could help to kick-start their season.
He added: “I feel really refreshed. It’s nice just to go back and spend some time with the family.
“It’s always good just to relax but very quickly you are keen to get back to training.
“Playing football every day is great but I do think that, especially after a hectic period like we’ve just had, you need that time to recover.”
Images by Harry Marshall
