3/1 To Win
Derby County have secured the services of right-back Nathan Byrne from Wigan Athletic on a two-year deal.
The 28-year-old is the Rams’ second signing this summer from the Latics, who suffered relegation form the Sky Bet Championship at the end of last season, and is the fourth overall for Phillip Cocu’s first-team squad during the summer transfer window so far.
The energetic defender also brings a threat on the attack, coming out on top for full-backs with eight assists during the campaign as well as in the top-three for shots blocked in the Championship.
Let’s take a closer look at the Rams’ newest addition…
THE EARLY DAYS…
Byrne spent his early career playing for his local team St. Albans City, before being spotted by Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur to join their academy as a 16-year-old. He went on to sign his first professional contract two years later in 2010.
The full-back was soon sent out on loan, looking to gain first-team experience, and that came first at Brentford where he made his senior debut as an 18-year-old in a League One clash against Bristol Rovers.
Loan moves to Bournemouth and Crawley Town followed in the seasons, after where he accumulated more than 20 appearances in the process.
An initial loan move to Swindon Town turned to a permanent switch ahead of the 2013/14 season that saw Byrne move away from the Premier League side.
SWINDON TOWN…
Following a successful loan spell in the final months of the 2012/13 season, Byrne became a key player for the Robins in his first campaign and made 36 League One appearances - while bagging four goals.
He continued to star in the following season for Swindon, with his three goals and nine assists adding to his defensive talents helping to guide them to the League One play-offs.
Byrne scored in the Semi Final First Leg against Sheffield United, before a 5-5 thriller in the Second Leg saw Swindon move on to the Final on aggregate – although they lost out in the final to Preston North End.
His performances that season landed him in the League One Team on the Year.
Byrne opened the following season with a hat-trick for Swindon in a 4-1 win over Bradford City, the first of his professional career, before completing a move to Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 2015.
THE MOVE NORTH…
After just a season at Wolves, where he made 24 appearances and scored twice in his first season playing in the second tier, Byrne moved to Wigan Athletic at the start of the 2016/17 season and soon found a new home to thrive in.
A short loan move to Charlton Athletic came in the second half of that season, but upon his return, the right-back cemented his place in Wigan team. During the 2017/18 season, he helped lead the Latics back to promotion to the Championship, picking up Players’ Player of the Year and Supporters’ Player of the Year accolades on the way.
Byrne was a vital player for the Latics in their last campaign, which ultimately ended in devastation when a 12-point deduction for entering administration saw the club fall into the bottom three and relegated, despite their good form, especially since the turn of the year.
The defender racked up eight assists in his 39 appearances, three of which came in Wigan’s record-breaking 8-0 victory over Hull City in the final weeks of the season and his impressive form saw Byrne pick up his second Players’ Player of the Season award in three seasons.
