Derby County Opinion: Max Bird’s new deal is a huge boost for the Rams
According to Sky Sports, Derby County prodigy Max Bird has put pen to paper on a new deal that should keep him at Pride Park until the summer of 2022.
The 18-year-old highly-rated academy graduate has been at the club since he was nine years old and made his first-team debut last season in a EFL Cup tie against Barnsley, aged just 16.
Bird impressed manager Frank Lampard in the pre-season tour prior to the ongoing season and was allowed to train regularly with the senior team.
After coming off the bench in the EFL Cup victories over Hull City and Oldham Athletic earlier in the season, Bird was handed his Championship debut back in December as a late substitute in a 2-1 victory over Swansea City.
The youngster made another late substitute appearance in the 4-3 victory over Norwich City and featured in the FA Cup ties against Southampton and Accrington before earning his first start in the Championship in the 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa earlier in March.
The news of Bird signing a fresh deal comes shortly after veteran Tom Huddlestone triggered a 12-month extension to his contract. Sky Sports claims that Frank Lampard is happy with Bird’s all-around development and he believes that it is only a matter of time before the youngster establishes himself as a regular face in the first-team.
The Rams lost highly-rated academy talents like Will Hughes and Jeff Hendrick in recent years but they seem determined to hold on to Bird.
Bird is essentially a central midfielder by trade who is comfortable playing both defensive and box-to-box roles in the midfield.
A sharp and agile player, Bird is really quick on the ball and boasts of a good range of passing, whilst also showing maturity that belies his tender years both in terms of game-reading and composure. The youngster has a sweet left foot that is capable of finding the net with powerful driven shots from outside the box.
Meanwhile, the Rams were dealt a massive blow in their pursuit of a playoff place by that 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa. Lampard’s side, though, are still very much in the top-six race, just a point behind Preston and Villa with a game in hand.
Derby’s inability to secure promotion has seen many of their top academy talents join other clubs to play in the Premier League and the Rams need to end their 11-year-long absence from the top flight to keep hold of their prized assets.
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Along with Jayden Bogle, Max Bird is certainly one of Derby’s next generation of stars to emerge from the youth set up and the fans at Pride Park can expect to see a lot more of their academy talent in the years to come.
