3/1 To Win
Derby County Under-21s defender Max Bardell’s short-term loan spell with National League side AFC Fylde has been extended until the end of January 2025.
Bardell has played for Fylde in three National League fixtures since joining the Lancashire outfit a month ago.
The versatile defender, who can play at right-back or in the centre of defence, featured in a 3-0 win over Gateshead and two defeats against promotion-chasing Sutton United and Hartlepool United.
The Coasters are managed by former Derby coach Kevin Phillips. The side will play 10 matches over the course of Bardell’s extended loan period, including against Solihull Moors, Sutton United and Oldham Athletic.
He joined Derby in the 2019/20 season and was a mainstay in the Under-18s side before graduating into the Under-21s in the 2021/22 campaign.
He made his first team bow for Derby from the bench in the Rams’ Emirates FA Cup First Round replay success over Torquay United in November 2022 after a lengthy spell out of action due to injury. He previously featured in a young Rams side, made up of Academy players, owing to COVID-19, in the FA Cup Third Round against Chorley in January 2021.
In January 2023 Bardell penned a deal that committed his future to the club which runs until summer 2025.
He has featured six times in Premier League 2 for the Under-21s this season and scored in a 2-0 win over Preston North End in the Central League before joining the Coasters.
