Why James Wilson Would Be A Good Option For Derby
Having been handed the autonomy to choose his own playing squad this summer, within the usual restrictive Championship club budget limits of course, Gary Rowett is on the prowl for talent. The former Birmingham City boss made a good start in the window, signing Hull’s Curtis Davies in what seems to have been an inspired deal, adding real quality to the Rams’ back line.
In what looks like a very open league next season, the title and the promotion spots may well be won and lost in the transfer window and Derby know fully well that they have a task on their hands to compete with the likes of Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and perhaps even Hull City and Fulham.
Keeping this in mind, Derby County should look to re-sign Manchester United’s young forward James Wilson. The 21-year-old striker was at Pride Park for most of last season but he was told to return to Manchester United following an injury.
Although he made only four appearances in the Championship for the East Midlands outfit, the player did little wrong and found himself at the club during another tumultuous time, with the increasingly unpopular Steve McClaren at the helm.
Wilson most likely knows that his opportunities at Old Trafford will be severely limited next season and the England under-21 international may seek a second opportunity to shine at Derby. Wilson deserves the chance to impress at first team level and Gary Rowett is the type of manager who allows players to prove themselves; case in point Matej Vydra who constantly bleated about being a central player and was given the chance in that position repeatedly, despite not getting the job done.
Having been given just 223 minutes of league football last season, it is impossible to judge how well he settled within the Derby camp. With a new manager though, and a comforting look at his Championship record from the season before, we can make a fair guess that he’ll do very well if given the chance.
The 2015/16 season saw Wilson represent Brighton at this level at just 20 years of age, scoring 5 and making 2 in 25 appearances in the regular part of the league season. He averaged just 47 minutes per game that season. So bearing that in mind, and taking into consideration the natural levels of improvement he would comfortably reach, 10-15 league goals next term in my opinion, is something Derby cannot afford to turn down.