3/1 To Win
Jake Buxton has stepped up to help out with first-team coaching duties at Derby County in recent weeks and he’s enjoyed being able to translate some of his work in the Academy to senior squad.
The 37-year-old, who is Derby’s Professional Development Phase Coach and assists Under-21s boss Pat Lyons, has been lending a helping hand to Interim Manager Liam Rosenior as well as coaches Justin Walker and Jason Pearcey in the club’s first team set-up.
It’s been an opportunity which the popular former Rams’ defender has thoroughly embraced as he spoke to RamsTV ahead of Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup Round One clash against Mansfield Town at the One Call Stadium (7:45pm kick-off).
Buxton covered a range of topics including his role within the first team set up, his fond memories of his time at Mansfield as a player, his respect for former boss Nigel Clough and discusses how the Rams will approach the cup clash.
On His First Team Coaching Role…
It’s a great opportunity to step up and help Liam. It’s been amazing throughout pre-season getting to learn the style of play and how Liam wants us to play and help where I can. I have had an input and I’m fully enjoying it. I really enjoyed the first game at home against Oxford United and I forgot that feeling of being at Pride Park in front of a full house and winning the game was a great feeling to have. I have a massive relationship with Darren Wassall and Pat Lyons in terms of the Academy and I believe in what they do. They bring through young talented players and nurture them into first team players. I had a massive buzz last season seeing Eiran Cashin, Liam Thompson, Luke Plange and Malcolm Ebiowei make their first team debuts and that was a great experience for myself as a coach. Equally I am enjoying being around the first team.
On The Squad…
A lot of the lads who we have signed, I have played against. It’s about building those relationships and getting that trust. I have been given the role of helping out on set plays so it’s just walking through things, helping people and hopefully we will score a few goals and make sure we keep them out of the back of the net as well.
On Coming Up Against Mansfield…
I have fond memories of growing up in Sutton-in-Ashfield which is close to Mansfield. I came through as a youth team scholar and played 175 games for them. I had an amazing time and did as well as I could. We got relegated out of the Football League with myself as captain so I wouldn’t say I was a cult hero, but my memories were brilliant. My upbringing of being around Mansfield was tremendous and this game is a special occasion for me. Not only are we playing my hometown club but also Nigel Clough, the Mansfield manager, is a big part of my journey too.
On Nigel Clough…
I left Mansfield and I got ahead of myself a little bit as a player, expected a move to League One or the Championship and found myself at Burton Albion in non-league after taking some bad advice. I didn’t finish the season as strongly as I should have done as a player and luckily I met Nigel and he taught me a few lessons and told me some home truths and got me back on the straight and narrow. I will be forever grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to come to Derby County with him but the best move I ever made was meeting him at such a young age. Things I wasn’t being told as a young player, he soon ironed those problems out and got me going again.
I managed to get to watch a few games there last season and I got myself to the Play-Off Semi Final clash against Northampton Town in May to support Nigel and also Mansfield as well. A lot of players I played with, Lukas Akins, Stephen Quinn, Kieran Wallace and John-Joe O’Toole, they are all there now. I do wish them well - but not on Tuesday night.
On Derby’s Approach To The Game…
We want to win the game and we’ve got an eye on Barnsley as well at the weekend. The manager has put a squad together which is capable of making changes and freshening things up and make sure that we put in a good account of ourselves and make sure we play in the same style of play which we have tried to embed throughout pre-season. You saw on Saturday at Charlton that when we get that right, we create numerous amounts of chances and we intend to do that again.
