Shinnie: “It Was A Proud Day”

It was a proud day for Derby County midfielder Graeme Shinnie as he started his first Sky Bet Championship game for the club - and helped his side earn a 2-0 victory over Luton Town - on Saturday afternoon.

To top it all off, the Scottish international won the Rams' Man of the Match award for his gritty performance in a win which sealed back-to-back victories at Pride Park Stadium for the first time this season.

It has, however, not been easy for Shinnie since making the summer move to Derby from Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen.

His displays had been limited to cup competitions prior to the meeting with the Hatters and he has had to bide his time to work his way into manager Phillip Cocu’s plans.

He got that chance to impress and he certainly grabbed it with both hands, putting in a performance which earned plaudits from everyone inside Pride Park.

“I’ve kept my head down,” he told RamsTV following the game. “It’s been tough, I’m not going to lie, with not being able to get on the pitch and influence any of the game so it’s been frustrating.

“Being in the stands and watching down has been hard, but I’ve got a good support network around me to keep my head up.

“I always feel I’m a positive person so for me it was about getting in the gym, using the facilities here which are excellent, training as hard as I can, playing with the Under-23s to try and keep my fitness up knowing that when I get a chance, I’m ready.

“I knew when I got the chance I needed to take it. If I don’t then I know I won’t get back in, so I felt like I was playing today for my Derby County career.

“It was just about going out and doing what I normally do. I didn’t want to over complicate it and try and do too much. I just wanted to go out enjoy it and I definitely did.”

Not only was it a good afternoon on the pitch for Shinnie, but also for the Rams after picking up seven points from a possible nine over the last three games.

Whilst Derby were handed their opening goal, courtesy of an own goal by Matty Pearson, they remained in control of the game and eventually scored a second through Tom Lawrence.

Shinnie was pleased to earn the three points and he said: “The first one is the best feeling you can get, especially if you don’t have to work for a goal and you’re 1-0 up; it’s ideal.

“I thought we defended really well and getting a clean sheet was a massive achievement for us. We have needed it in recent weeks so for the whole team, and Kelle in goal, it was a massive achievement.

“We know we can score goals with the players we have on the pitch so if we can keep clean sheets then we will win more games than we lose.”

It was an extra special day for the Shinnie family as he faced his brother Andrew, who is a regular in the Luton side.

It’s the first time the pair have started games on the opposite sides in their careers.

“It was a proud day to play against my brother in a Championship game,” he admitted. “He has played a lot of games down here and for it to be my first game against my brother was a bit surreal.

“Once the game started, he is just another opponent and after the game he is my brother again. It was enjoyable, especially after we won the game so it was a good occasion.”