Max Bardell is a versatile defender who became a first-year scholar in Derby County’s Academy at the start of the 2019/20 campaign prior to penning professional terms ahead of the 2021/22 season.
Bardell spent time at Huddersfield Town and Manchester City before moving to Derby and he made 18 appearances for the Under-18s during his first season with the club, scoring once, and appeared twice for the Under-19s in their UEFA Youth League campaign.
As a second-year scholar, Bardell stepped up to regularly captain the Under-18s in his 14 appearances in the Under-18s Premier League – North in 2020/21.
The defender also progressed to the Under-21s on a handful of occasions, making ten appearances, while he also started for a youthful Rams side against non-league Chorley in the Third Round of the FA Cup in January 2021 before joining the Under-21s squad on a permanent basis ahead of the 2021/22 season.
In his first year as a professional Bardell, who can play right back and in central defence, made 17 Premier League 2 - Division 1 appearances and scored once in a home victory over West Ham United before having his season ended early due to a hamstring problem.
Bardell missed a large chunk of the 2022/23 season due to injury but impressed enough to be awarded a new deal in January to keep him with the Rams until 2025 and he made his ‘official’ first team bow as a substitute in the side’s Emirates FA Cup First Round replay win over Torquay United as a second half substitute.
He was limited to just a handful of appearances for the Under-21s in 2023/24 after sustaining a hamstring injury early in the season.
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