Derby County’s Under-23s were the only Sky Bet Championship team to remain in the Premier League 2 - Division 1, holding their own against the country’s most elite and they did it with the youngest ever Rams squad.
Darren Wassall’s side were without eight key players at points in the season who were gaining experience on loan.
The tough task of surviving in the top division fell to a much younger side as Wassall regularly called upon Under-18s and even Under-16s who stepped up and cemented their place in the division for another season.
Creating opportunities and grasping them when they are given is what the Academy Director aims to instil into his players and last season exemplified that.
Speaking to RamsTV, Wassall said: “Staying up is a credit to the players because they have had it quite tough since Christmas in terms of the age of the squad.
“It’s been our youngest ever 23s team but they all stepped up to the mark. We want to test our younger players to see if they can cope at an early age with the standard of football that is required.
“The likes of Louie Sibley and Tyree Wilson who are still in school and Lee Buchannan, Max Bird, Jason Knight, playing at that level is great for them. Not only have they played but they have held their own.
“The game against West Ham where it proved in the end that we needed that win to stay up, a lot of those players were very young and they contributed magnificently in that victory.”
In a game that proved vital in their fight to beat the drop, Wassall put his faith in the academy’s youth with seven of his players to make an appearance under 20-years-old.
It was 17-year-old Jayden Bogle who supplied the winning goal against the Hammers in the penultimate game and showed why he was called up to train and travel with the first-team for the second half of the season.
Wassall’s confidence in the younger academy players to take the reins of the Under-23 side is backed by the results produced throughout the age groups and shows the future is very bright.
“The Under-18s had similar results coming against similar top opposition so we have really good players coming through. We haven’t won every game, but it’s the manner in which each age group has played,” said Wassall.
“It shows the good quality of the players at the club that the likes of Manchester United and Everton aren’t guaranteed victories against us.
“They know they are in for a tough game from the way we approach games, the way we want to play an attacking style of football and because out of possession we are a very honest and hardworking club.
“That filters down from Under-23s throughout the academy.”
