Derby County visit the Coventry Building Society Arena in the Emirates FA Cup Third Round this Saturday (12:30pm kick-off). Here’s everything you need to know about our opponents.
Fact File:
Name: Derby County Football Club
Founded: 1884
Stadium: Pride Park (first opened 1997)
Capacity: 33,597
Nickname: The Rams
Address: Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8XL
Pitch Size: 115 x 74 yards
The Opposition:
Derby County head into the weekend's game on the back of three wins from their last four league games.
A dramatic final day of last season saw a 3-3 draw against Sheffield Wednesday ensure survival for Derby, following a season which saw Phillip Cocu replaced by current manager Wayne Rooney.
Since then, Derby have announced a number of signings, including Ravel Morrison, Phil Jagielka, Richard Stearman, Ryan Allsop and Sam Baldock. Meanwhile, Rooney also appointed midfielder Tom Lawrence as team captain over the summer, the Wales international having joined the club from Leicester City in 2017.
The captain also holds the most goals for his side during the current campaign; Lawrence sits as Derby’s top scorer with five goals, while Colin Kazim-Richards and Curtis Davies are tied with four goals each.
In the league, Derby County have recorded seven wins, eleven draws and seven defeats from 25 games.
The Manager:
As a name synonymous with English football, Wayne Rooney officially marked the end of his illustrious playing career when he was appointed as Derby County’s permanent manager in January 2021, having initially taken the role on an interim basis when Phillip Cocu parted company with the club.
The Everton youth academy product marked his arrival in Everton’s first team with an assist for Mark Pembridge in a 2-2 draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur in 2002, but it was his last-minute winner against Arsenal only five days before his 17th birthday which gained the attention of many.
In December 2002, Rooney was unveiled as the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year and only months later the 17-year-old became the youngest player to score for England with his equaliser against Macedonia in a UEFA Euro qualifying match.
Rooney earned a transfer to Manchester United in 2004, where he would go on to become all-time top goalscorer with 253 goals in 14 years. The club legend won 16 trophies during his time at Manchester United and became one of only two players, alongside teammate Michael Carrick, to win the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup and League Cup.
On the international stage, Rooney also claimed the record of all-time top goalscorer for England with 53 goals, also earning four England Player of the Year awards. With 120 international caps, Rooney featured in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups, earning the second most England appearances behind Peter Shilton.
A brief spell at hometown club Everton upon leaving Manchester United in 2017 saw Rooney end the season as top goalscorer before moving on to D.C. United in the MLS. It was in 2018 when Rooney was named as D.C. United MVP, claiming the club’s golden boot in the same year. A return to England in January 2020 with Derby County led to Rooney scoring six Championship goals before moving into management.
In his first season in management, Rooney ensured Derby’s Championship survival and has since engineered a strong run of form in an attempt to lift Derby from the bottom of the Championship.
Last Six Games:
Drew – Reading 2-2 Derby County (SkyBet Championship)
Won – Stoke City 1-2 Derby County (SkyBet Championship)
Won – Derby County 1-0 West Bromwich Albion (SkyBet Championship)
Won – Derby County 1-0 Blackpool (SkyBet Championship)
Lost – Bristol City 1-0 Derby County (SkyBet Championship)
Lost – Derby County 1-2 Queens Park Rangers (SkyBet Championship)
Last Time We Met:
The Sky Blues last faced this weekend’s visitors in October, when a 1-1 draw courtesy of goals from Matt Godden and Graeme Shinnie could not separate the two sides at the Coventry Building Society Arena in SkyBet Championship action.
Godden’s first-half penalty gave City the advantage going into half-time, but end-to-end action saw opportunities for both sides when Colin Kazim-Richards had an effort bounced off the post and Godden had a second goal ruled out for offside in the second half.
However, the points were shared when Shinnie’s volley hit the back of the net in the 78th minute, despite a late chance for Ian Maatsen to snatch the win late on.
Sky Blues XI: Simon Moore (GK), Fankaty Dabo, Dom Hyam, Kyle McFadzean (C), Jake Clarke-Salter, Ian Maatsen (Liam Kelly 66’) , Ben Sheaf, Gustavo Hamer, Callum O’Hare, Matty Godden, Viktor Gyökeres (Tyler Walker 66’)
Unused Subs: Ben Wilson (GK), Jodi Jones, Jamie Allen, Martyn Waghorn, Todd Kane
Head-to-head Record:
Sky Blues wins – 29
Draws – 21
Derby County wins – 32
Club Connection: Martyn Waghorn
Current Sky Blues striker Martyn Waghorn joined City from Derby County last summer, having spent three years in Derbyshire. The 31-year-old was former Rams boss Frank Lampard’s seventh signing.
Martyn began his career at Sunderland, having progressed through the club’s academy to make his first team debut against Manchester United on Boxing Day in 2007, before heading out on loan to Charlton Athletic. During his next loan move to Leicester City, Waghorn earned the club’s Young Player of the Year award for 2010. As a result of his performances, the forward earned a permanent move to the Foxes in the summer of 2010, and it was against the Sky Blues when Waghorn made his second debut for the club in a 1-1 draw.
Loan moves to Hull City, Millwall and Wigan Athletic followed, resulting in a permanent move to Wigan in 2014, as a result of impressing the Wigan hierarchy with three goals in nine appearances.
Having made the move to Scotland with Rangers in 2015, Waghorn earned the titles of Scottish Championship top scorer and Rangers Players’ Player of the Year in his first season at the club – winning the Scottish Championship and Scottish Challenge Cup in the process.
Following a successful period in Scotland, Waghorn joined Ipswich in August 2017. Only five days after his arrival in Suffolk, Waghorn scored the winner on his league debut against Barnsley, and went on to score in three consecutive league appearances upon his arrival. At the conclusion of his first season with Ipswich, he finished as top goalscorer with 16 goals.
After a season at Ipswich, Waghorn made the move to Derby County under Frank Lampard, where he featured in the club’s playoff campaign in 2019, which came to a close with a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa at Wembley. Following the expiration of his contract at Derby last summer, Martyn made the move to sign for Mark Robins’ Sky Blues in July 2021.
Match Officials:
Andrew Madley will be the referee for this weekend’s FA Cup tie.
Matthew Wilkes and Craig Taylor will be Assistant Referees, while Benjamin Speedie will be Fourth Official.