Derby County U23 assistant coach Craig Short has praised Jahmal Hector-Ingram following his unusual move from West Ham United last summer, RamsTV report.

Hector-Ingram opted to leave West Ham for Derby in the summer.

He has since progressed rapidly for the U23 side, leading the scoring charts as the young Rams are joint top of the Premier League 2 table alongside Chelsea.

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images).

Hector-Ingram won the Player of the Month award for October. Craig Short, Derby’s U23 assistant academy coach, felt the youngster made a brave call joining Derby.

He’s turned down a contract with West Ham. It’s quite unusual a player does that as it’s his hometown club and he’s been living with his family all his life down there. It’s a huge transformation for him. He’s settled in very well and worked hard. He’s adapted very well, and it’s fully deserved [his POTM award].

Hector-Ingram has posted nine goals and two assists so far this season.

Aside from his success in the U23 Premier League, Hector-Ingram recently found the net in the 2-1 International Cup victory over Dutch side Feyenoord at Loughborough.

And to top off an excellent week, the former West Ham academy striker netted another two goals in the stunning 7-1 thrashing of Leeds United in the Premier League Cup.

West Ham may regret losing Hector-Ingram following his rapid progress.

The 20-year-old’s next step is to try and force himself into the Derby first team. Another option could be to send him out on loan to gain valuable experience at senior level.

Also see: Former player says Derby ace is Premier League class despite Forest nightmare

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