Wassall: "We've Had A Good Year But We Always Want To Get Better"

Derby County’s Academy has earned a reputation in recent years as being one of the best in the country.

That was taken to another level during the 2018/19 season as the Under-18s were crowned National Champions while the Under-23s also enjoyed their best season ever.

The youngsters were also given their chance to shine regularly in first-team training as some went on to burst in to senior football in style.

In 2014, Derby became the sixth Sky Bet Championship side to earn Category One status and get the opportunity to compete against the country’s best each week and from there, the Rams have gone from strength to strength.

Academy Director Darren Wassall says that the achievements from the 2018/19 season only makes him more determined to push on for more.

“We are a real family here; I understand it’s a cliché, but it couldn’t be more true,” Wassall said. “We have a mantra of ‘we succeed together, and we fail together’.”

He added: “We’ve had a good year, but we always want to get better. We are constantly reviewing our processes and we are in a good place.

“Mel Morris invested in the Academy in 2015/16 and as part of that investment we brought in Jayden Bogle, Jayden Mitchell-Lawson and Luke Thomas. All three of them have proved to be a real success.

“Recruitment and investment in young players can help us get better. It you get both those right you can reap the rewards further down the line and in this case, two or three years.

“We want to provide a pathway for young players to get an opportunity. That’s what we are all here for. We want to keep improving and become better as an Academy.”

The development of the Academy has been on show for all to see in the last 12 months with both the Under-18s and Under-23s enjoying historic success.

Both squads received their highest ever league positions while progressing further than ever before in their respective cup competitions.

For the Under-18s that meant being crowned Champions of England. Having pipped Liverpool to claim the Premier League – North title, the young Rams were then pitted against Southern Division champions Arsenal in the National Final at Pride Park Stadium.

Walker’s side completely dominated after going a goal behind in the opening stages to come back for a 5-2 victory in an achievement that Wassall and everyone at the club is immensely proud of.

The Academy Director said that the challenge now if for the youngsters to take the success and keep moving forward to push on for senior football and rise to new challenges, such as testing themselves against the best in Europe in the UEFA Youth League next season.

“It was a proud moment for me, as Academy Director, on the night. I was proud of the players and staff members and the performance on the night summed up the whole season really,” he said.

“A lot of the players have been here for a long time too and I think we saw that togetherness at the end of the Arsenal game.

“The first-team staff and players were there, as well as everyone associated with the Academy, and everyone wanted to be part of a special moment.

“I think the players were able to draw on some of the experiences from earlier in the season when things didn’t quite go right for them.

“It is also key how the players now react to their success. It’s about wanting more and not standing still. If you achieve something as a young player, it’s just the start. We are always pushing the players and their destiny is down to themselves.”