Derby County academy graduate Max Bird is on his way to Bristol City this summer, paving the way for an ‘excellent’ youngster to make the breakthrough.
Bird ended his successful Derby career on a high by scoring a cracker in the 2-0 win over Carlisle United, which sealed the Rams promotion to the Championship.
The 23-year-old was loaned back to Pride Park in January after signing for Bristol City, but the midfield metronome – who joined the club as a 10-year-old – will say his final goodbyes this summer.
It was a fitting end for Bird to score one of the club’s most important goals this decade, after chalking up 200 appearances since making his debut in September 2017.
Bird’s rise from the academy to first-team stardom has paved the way for current stars Louie Sibley, Eiran Cashin and Liam Thompson to follow in his footsteps.
READ MORE: Derby County star Eiran Cashin’s journey from almost released to Premier League transfer interest
Now, fellow midfielder Darren Robinson is hoping to achieve similar success.
Who is Darren Robinson
Robinson joined Derby as a first-year scholar at the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
Moving to the Rams from Dungannon Swifts, where he made his senior debut at the age of 16, Robinson became highly rated in Derbyshire after penning his first professional deal in the 2022/23 season.
The 19-year-old has since made four senior appearances, with Rooney handing him his Championship debut against Bristol City in April 2022.
This term, he’s played 12 times in the Premier League 2 and captained his side against some of the best Category 1 academies, including Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
As a result, Aston Villa and Southampton were said to be plotting a bid for the teenage sensation in January, although nothing materialised.
Robinson is a versatile player and has played at centre-back, central midfield and right midfielder but he predominantly plays in defensive midfield. His contract at Pride Park expires this summer but Derby shouldn’t think twice about renewing it.
Darren Robinson can become Max Bird’s heir
Robinson is one of 12 players who see their contracts expire this summer, but Derby are reportedly in advanced talks to renew his deal.
The two-time Scholar of the Season winner has unsurprisingly earned plenty of praise during what is still a short career, as former head of youth at Dungannon labelled him as “excellent”.
The talented defensive midfielder has all the tools to become a success at Derby, just like Bird did, with his ability to glide forward, pull the strings in midfield and fly into challenges all attributes in his skillset.
Crucially, keeping talent like Robinson would only reinforce Warne’s stance of giving youngsters a chance, having spoken highly of fellow academy teammates Dajaune Brown and Cruz Allen.
Although opportunities in the Championship could be at a premium for the above gems, Brown has shown how a productive loan spell away from the club can be crucial in a player’s development.
That is perhaps an option Derby will take with Robinson next season, loaning him out to a club lower down the pyramid and watching him flourish.