Ryan Nyambe says he is convinced Derby County is a club ‘going in a good direction’ after putting pen-to-paper on a new contract.
The 26-year-old has signed fresh terms until the summer of 2027 to commit his future to the Rams.
Head Coach Paul Warne ended his long pursuit of the versatile defender last September and the Namibia international quickly established himself as a key member of the side on their way to promotion from Sky Bet League One.
The defender sat down with RamsTV to discuss committing his future to Derby for the next three years, his recovery from a quad injury sustained earlier this year and offer his thoughts ahead of the upcoming 2024/25 Sky Bet Championship season.
On signing his new contract until 2027…
I am really pleased. It is security for me and my family and, most importantly, it is at a massive club like Derby County. It is amazing to sign a new contract and my family had a big part to play in it too, it wasn’t just down to me. If they’re happy, so am I.
On why it was important to extend his contract…
I feel like the club is going in a good direction. As I said when I joined, the club has all the right aspects you want as a footballer. I am enjoying it so much here and I wanted to make it my home.
His reaction to helping Derby to gain promotion last season…
To play a part in the club being promoted back to the Championship, after a tough period in the two years before, feels good. Sometimes in life you have setbacks and it was a privilege to play a part in promotion last year.
On the step-up to the Championship in 2024/25…
There is a major difference between the leagues, and we probably have to nit-pick at every single thing that we do. It is marginal, but it is a big difference. We know there are areas we need to improve on and we need to improve marginally.
On his recovery from surgery on his quad injury sutained in February…
I feel amazing and strong. I haven’t had any setbacks in my rehabilitation work, and I feel I have recovered well. We’ll see how it all goes over pre-season and when I play in the games, but I feel strong and fit. I was in during the summer working and while it was quiet with no-one else here, I was able to fully focus on my rehabilitation. It is nice to have that normal feeling now, though, with everyone here.
On welcoming the new players into the squad…
The new boys are in the building and have settled in well. When I came in, everyone made me feel welcome. It is the same with them, we have such a close group and they are made to feel part of it straight away. As a new player, you settle in pretty well.
On looking to score his first-ever career goal in 2024/25…
I hope this is the season! I’d be happy with one goal a season, honestly! For me, personally, I am happy to do my job at the back and help us keep clean sheets. That said, I would love to get a goal.
