3/1 To Win
Winger Florian Jozefzoon is aiming to hit the ground running as the start of the Sky Bet Championship nears ever closer.
Derby County head to the John Smith’s Stadium to face recently-relegated Huddersfield Town as the Rams kick off their Championship campaign next Monday.
And Jozefzoon, who featured 34 times for the Rams last season after signing from Brentford, is hoping to start strongly both personally and as a team under new manager Phillip Cocu.
“Immediately after the Play-Off Final defeat in May everyone said they didn’t want to have that feeling again, losing in a Play-Off Final, so everyone was talking about starting as soon as possible and going harder this season,” he told RamsTV.
“That is the mindset of everybody, as it should be. It started well for me last season and then my playing time was less but the group were doing well so I was happy for the boys and for the club and everybody. I had to be ready when needed.
“Personally you want to go harder and sometimes you when you go harder, you push yourself too much and you just need to relax and wait for the team to need you and then stand up for them.
“The Championship is a hard league and everyone knows that over 46 games you have to be focused. You need to fight for every point so if you can start quick to go up.”
The Dutchman has featured prominently during the pre-season campaign under Cocu.
All the hard work over the last has set him up for the start of the season, which is set to be a busy period.
The Rams have the possibility of facing eight games in the opening month of the season but that is something which does not concern Jozefzoon.
“This is my third season in the Championship so I’m used to it now,” he said. “It’s a busy start, always, and we have to get as many points as possible. A good start is always the hard work.”
Huddersfield Town are the first test for Cocu’s side and Jozefzoon has offered his thoughts ahead of the game.
“I think that they are a good team,” he commented. “They have built some experience in the Premier League but nobody is easy in the Championship and every team will be difficult, and so will Huddersfield.”
