Darren Robinson

Midfielder Darren Robinson joined Derby County ahead of the 2021/22 campaign as a first-year scholar.

The Northern Ireland youth international moved to the Rams from Dungannon Swifts where he made his senior debut whilst still 16 against Glenavon in the Northern Ireland Football League Premiership in the 2020/21 season.

He started the 2021/22 season with the Under-18s, scoring once in ten games in Premier League – North, prior to stepping up to the Under-21s.

Robinson made 14 appearances in Premier League 2 - Division 1 and trained regularly with the first team, which resulted in his Derby bow off the bench against Bristol City in April 2022.

His performances saw him rewarded with the Scholar of the Year award at the club’s End of Season awards night in May 2022.

Robinson recorded two appearances in the 2022/23 season in the EFL Trophy at senior level while he also featured on a regular basis for the Under-21s, which resulted in him claiming the Scholar of the Year award for the second season in a row.

He also penned his first professional deal in the 2022/23 campaign as he continued to show strong signs of progress, while he made a further senior appearance in the EFL Trophy in 2023/24 as well as featuring regularly for the Under-21s and playing for Northern Ireland at Under-21 level.

The midfielder penned a new two-year deal in May 2024 that would see him remain with the club until the summer of 2026.

In August 2024 Robinson looked to gain further experience in senior football as he joined National League side Hartlepool United on loan and played six times before returning to Derby.