Derby County are yet to receive any bids for Jason Knight according to Derbyshire Live.
Despite comments from the Republic Of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny, Derby County have yet to receive any bids for the Midfielder.
The comments regarding a move away from Derby came after an interview with the Irish manager who intimated he would like to see the 22-year-old play at a higher level. Knight has been a key player over the past three seasons, since breaking through The Rams’ Academy.
Who is Jason Knight?
Jason Knight started his career with the Irish side Cabinteely, he was aged four through to 16 when he was signed by his current side Derby County, the Irish Midfielder started in the Derby Youth setup, before moving on to the first team. The youngster has since made 182 first-team appearances for Derby County scoring 14 times. At the age of 22, Knight also appeared 18 times for The Republic Of Ireland’s men’s side, on the back of being involved since the Ireland U-17 team.
In his 166 league games for Derby, Knight has racked up 112 games at the Championship level, and the comments from The Republic Of Ireland boss will arguably not be welcomed at Pride Park, the 22-year-old has been linked with a host of clubs since becoming a regular for The Rams, and he could have plenty of options when the transfer window opens shortly. Paul Warne’s side is preparing for another season in League One after missing out on the Playoffs on the final day, in a 0-1 away defeat to recently promoted Sheffield Wednesday.
Jason Knight’s contract
On the club’s official website, Paul Warne’s side confirmed that The Rams have triggered an extension on The Midfielder’s contract, keeping him at the club until at least 2024. This is Knight’s sixth year with the club. After earning himself a regular starting position, The Irishman has attracted the attention of clubs in The Premier League and The Championship.
What’s been said
Stephen Kenny’s comments:
“He’s another one on the verge of a move now,” Kenny said. “A lot of clubs want to buy Jason, which will be good for him, to get back to playing at a level higher than League One.
“Derby have been great to him, he’s played a high amount of games for them for someone so young. But he’s at that stage where he probably needs to go and play at a higher level to kick on.”
No Offers
Derbyshire Live:
“The truth of the matter is, there has not been one offer for the 22-year-old since the season finished in which Knight was a regular starter under head coach Paul Warne.
Derby exercised a clause in his deal last month that keeps him at Pride Park for another year which made perfect sense given his performances.”
Writer’s View
I genuinely believe Jason Knight is one of the most talented footballers in the English Football League, his hard-working and creative nature has seen him go from Derby County Youth Team to a leader within the side, and having played over 150 games, including becoming a rising star for The Republic Of Ireland, the sky’s the limit for the Attacking Midfielder. There are not many players who have played that many games at Knight’s age, especially in The Championship and he has Derby County to thank for that.
Kenny’s comments won’t be welcomed at Pride Park as they draw further attention to the excellent talent, and in my opinion, the Republic Of Ireland Manager has no right in making comments such as “He’s another one on the verge of a move now”. Correct or not it’s the sort of comment you shouldn’t be making on behalf of a player or a club, by all means, compliment his ability as a Footballer, even explain he’ll go far, but to state he’s on the move is not right, especially when Derby has helped develop his natural talents as a Footballer and no official offers have been reportedly made.
Finally, if Knight was to move on I would hope it’s for a club where he would play regular football, as he does now. Coventry as an example would be an ideal club for the midfield talent, a club where he would surely start and have an impact on a club on the rise. Knight’s creative talents are undeniable, he can tackle, pick a pass and add goals to a team and has shown those skills in abundance with Derby. The Rams have got themselves a player which will help them push further on this season, and with a strong transfer window, I expect them to be automatic promotion contenders, with or without Jason Knight. If the battling midfielder was to leave, it would have to be for a pretty sum, of money which Derby could use in the market.
If a substantial bid came in for the young star, I would be inclined to sell. while I understand it wouldn’t be ideal to lose your star player, Derby wouldn’t be able to hold onto him forever so a big bid could make all the difference to The Rams instead of losing him on a free, I just hope if he does go, he’ll play regular football, a man of his talent shouldn’t be sitting on the bench. Derby should be proud of helping a player with a natural ability to play the game, but nothing lasts forever and they might have to settle with losing him this summer.
