Derby County forward Nick Blackman has admitted his future at Pride Park is unknown, the BBC report.
The former Reading man’s contract is set to expire in the summer, and he hasn’t spoken to manager Frank Lampard since moving out on loan to Spanish second division side Sporting Gijon last summer.
“The last conversation I had with him [Frank Lampard] was just before I came out to Spain. Where I’ll be next season I don’t know. I’m just focusing on each day and each game. I need to fully embrace this experience while I am out here,” Blackman explained to the BBC.
The Derby County forward joined the Rams from Reading in January 2016 for a reported £2.5 million, according to the BBC.
Nick Blackman’s Derby County struggles and loan moves away:
Blackman signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Pride Park. Many supporters were excited to see the player arrive, considering he had netted 11 Championship goals at the half-way point that season with Reading.
MORE DERBY STORIES
But the 29-year-old struggled to get going. Then-manager Paul Clement’s dismissal a month later only disrupted his start at the club further.
Blackman managed just one Derby goal, a penalty in a 2-0 win over Cardiff City, in 18 months. His confidence had hit rock bottom, and he was soon farmed out on loan to Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.
To his credit, Blackman took on the challenge of moving to Israel with open arms and he fared well. He netted 10 goals in 31 games, with his success leading to another loan move. This time to the north of Spain with Gijon, where he has two goals in 11 appearances.
However, current manager Lampard seems to be building his own squad at Derby. Blackman is one of many players who are out of contract in the summer and expected to leave the club.
Craig Bryson, Tom Huddlestone, Joe Ledley, Bradley Johnson, Jacob Butterfield, Alex Pearce and David Nugent make up the other names out of contract this coming summer and, similar to Blackman, it would be a surprise to see them retained at Pride Park.
Also See: Derby County should follow in Norwich City’s footsteps and slap high price tag on Jayden Bogle