One Derby County star has been blown away by the brilliant Rams support so far this season.
The Rams have enjoyed a solid start to the 2024/25 Championship campaign, and much of it is down to the brilliant signings made in the summer by Paul Warne.
There was plenty of anticipation over whether the Derby County signings would be able to live up to the Championship, especially with the likes of Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and Kenzo Goudmijn being unknown in the English game.
Whilst the new arrivals have gone above and beyond, the Derby County fans have certainly matched that by being the 12th man, and that has certainly made a significant difference at home, with the Rams falling to just one defeat at Pride Park.
One new summer signing has certainly been taken aback by the atmosphere of Pride Park and the Derby County support, which he has described as ‘crazy’.
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Jacob Widell Zetterstrom praises Derby County supporters
Swedish shot-stopper Zetterstrom has without a doubt been a revelation in-between the sticks for Warne’s side, and he has already proven to be an incredibly shrewd signing.
It is brilliant to see the goalkeeper settle well into Derbyshire, which has undoubtedly helped him on the pitch, and he has also been welcomed by the fans.
He was full of praise for the Derby County supporters in a recent interview, per Sportbladet, where he said: “It has been great [playing for Derby County]. I have really felt great at the club since I got there.
“It was no secret that it was emotional and special to leave Djurgården, where I had been for almost my entire life.
“But from the first moment in the Derby I have enjoyed myself as much as possible and really enjoyed myself. There are fantastic people who work at the club, it’s beautiful around Derby as well and then it’s not the world’s biggest adjustment to come to England either.
“I have really been able to focus on football fully because there are many people in the club who have helped me with everything practical. It is about everything from bank accounts to papers and housing and so on. So everyone has been very helpful.
“It really is the case that football touches everyone here. It’s crazy how much interest there is and how big a role football plays here. Sometimes it feels like I’m walking past a screen showing Sky Sports football broadcasts constantly. So the interest in football is incredible.
“It is packed at every single match, it was even when the club was in League One. We have incredible support both at home and away.”
- READ MORE: ‘Gifted’ Derby County player now back on grass after injury layoff in huge Paul Warne boost
Derby County fans must continue to make Pride Park a fortress
There is no doubt that Rams fans have made a significant contribution up until this early stage in the 2024/25 Championship campaign in regards to the performances and points put on the board in home games.
There has been every bit of success in making Pride Park a difficult place to go for many sides, and if that can continue, it could easily continue to spur Derby County up to the higher echelons of the league table.
Whilst it would be somewhat overly ambitious to suggest that Derby County could be looking to finish in the top six this season, as they would need to show considerable improvements on their travels, a top half finish is by no means out of the question for Warne’s side, and the fans could certainly help contribute towards a potentially successful finish to the season.