3/1 To Win
Louie Sibley is making sure that every day at Derby County is another day for him to put in the hard yards to make an impression on the first-team staff.
The young midfielder, who only turned 17 last month, has already made his senior debut this season after he came off the bench in the Carabao Cup First Round victory over Scunthorpe United before getting his first start in the Second Round against rivals Nottingham Forest.
That has only made him eager for more.
The second-year scholar is determined to catch the eye in training, where he is regularly in manager Phillip Cocu’s sessions.
“I have had a little taste of it and I’m really hungry for more,” the England youth international said on The Academy Review Show.
“I need to make sure my standards are high in training and I need to keep playing well in the games and I think if I keep performing then I’ll get chances.
“I need to keep impressing the gaffer every day, and all the first team staff, and then hopefully more chances will come for me.”
Sibley is one four Academy products to make their senior debuts this season with Jason Knight, Lee Buchanan and Morgan Whittaker all making appearances so far, while Max Bird continues to push for first-team minutes after a break-out season last time out.
The five were all part of the Under-18s National Title winning side last season and for Sibley, Whittaker, Buchanan and Bird, they have grown up on the training pitches at Derby County since they were nine-years-old.
Seeing his friends and team-mates succeed is another motivating factor for Sibley to continue to push on.
“We played a lot togther last year and it’s good to see that there is a pathway here,” he added.
“Morgan came on the other day and that was great. Everyone wants to be in the same place, and I want to be in the first team as well as the other guys, but it’s hungry competition.
“We all get on really well, so we need to push each other every day. That has shown in a lot of the games and training.”
When he isn’t with the first-team, the 17-year-old is shining in Darren Wassall’s Under-23s, helping them to climb to the top of the Premier League 2 - Division 1 table making six starts, scoring one goal and adding three assists.
“The way we have been playing is great,” Sibley said.
“We have been performing well and we’ve been beating the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, all the big teams and clubs are finally coming to us now and saying Derby have some really good players.
“In every game we play now, we feel like we are a strong team and no team who is coming to our place is going to get an easy game.”
