Derby County will face a very familiar former player when they go up against Bristol Rovers on Saturday afternoon.
Derby travel to Bristol Rovers with some momentum after thrashing Port Vale 3-0 at Pride Park.
It’s now important for Paul Warne’s side to continue to build a head of steam as they enter a season-defining period of the season.
The Rams face Bolton Wanderers at home a week on Saturday and then a trip to Portsmouth at the start of April, two sides currently above them in the table with Bolton only separated by one point in second.
In a campaign that could come down to fine margins at the top, Eiran Cashin believes Derby have one attribute in their squad that trumps their promotion rivals.
With that said, Warne’s men must come out on top in a highly anticipated physical battle against Bristol Rovers and that is something they’ve conquered previously having won seven of their last nine meetings in all competitions.
Derby County set to face former player Chris Martin
Chris Martin spent seven years at Derby between 2013 and 2020.
The 35-year-old became a fan favourite at Pride Park due to his incredible goalscoring ability having plundered 76 goals and supplied 34 assists in 224 appearances.
During the years Derby were fighting for the Championship play-offs, Martin’s goals played a pivotal role in their fight for promotion and he will go down as one of the greatest strikers to play for the side across the past decade.
Since leaving the club, the veteran forward has had spells at Fulham, Hull City, Bristol City and QPR.
Now, he’s currently plying his trade at Bristol Rovers and despite his age, is still one of the most lethal scorers in the third tier.
Why Derby must be wary of Chris Martin
Martin was initially signed to add some depth to the striker position, but he’s blown those expectations at the water by becoming one of the divisions leading scorers.
With 15 goals in 25 appearances this term, the “fantastic” striker – as previously lauded by manager Paul Clement at Derby – ranks fifth in the league’s scoring charts.
He will be relishing the visit from his former side and will be desperate to put one past Joe Wildsmith, although it wouldn’t be the first time he’s scored against the Rams.
The forward netted in the reverse fixture with a header, putting the Gas level at 1-1, but Derby found a winner in the 90th minute through Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
This weekend, he will be aiming to put a dent in the Rams’ promotion hopes by scoring once more.