Derby welcome 'fantastic human' to ranks as John Eustace sends clear message to Preston, Portsmouth & Co
Pompey rivals Derby County will be boosted by the sheer presence of Erik Pieters in their ranks over the remaining weeks of their Championship season.
That’s the verdict of new Rams boss John Eustace, who has signed the 36-year-old free agent on a short-term deal in order to bolster the Pride Park side’s chances of beating the drop.
Derby, who have also recruited experienced pros Kemar Roofe and Jeff Hendrick since sacking former manager Paul Warne in February, currently sit 22nd in the table and two points from safety.
They have a chance to climb out of the bottom three and rise to 20th, though, on Wednesday night when Preston North End travel to Pride Park.
Victory against PNE would also reduce Pompey’s advantage over the relegation zone to five points, after the Blues moved seven points clear of trouble following their 1-0 win against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
With both Pompey and Derby remaining in the relegation mix, an enthralling encounter between the two sides is guaranteed at Fratton Park on Saturday, April 12.
It’s not quite clear yet whether Pieters - who was released by Luton in January - will be considered fit enough to play by then, with his last competitive appearance coming for West Brom against Bristol City in March 2024.
Regardless, Eustace is delighted to have the former Netherlands international in and around his squad - a presence he considers highly valuable as he bids to create an environment that will benefit the Rams’ bid for Championship survival.
Speaking to Rams TV, Eustace said: ‘It's important we get as many experienced players as we can, good people, good characters in the group, which are going to help the squad, and Erik comes with lots of experience.
‘He's a fantastic human being, and he's going to help the group from now to the end of the season. I think we have to remember him coming in was (at) a time when Sonny (Langas) got injured as well, we weren't too sure about his fitness till the end of the season, so we were left short.
‘Erik coming here has been a big boost. As I said when I first came in, the way you get through difficult moments is having good people around and having good characters and Erik's experience is there for everyone to see. He's helping the group on the training field, especially, which is great.’
Derby’s battle to avoid the drop
The Rams’ decision to sack Warne and replace him with Eustace came after a seventh-success Championship defeat at home to Sheffield United. The loss left last season’s League One runners-up 22nd in the table and two points from safety with 16 games remaining.
Since then, the Pride Park side have climbed only one place in the standings and remain in the division’s bottom three. Yet there are signs of progress under former player Eustace, who has won his past three games in charge and provided hope among the fans. Indeed, victory against Preston would see Derby move out of the relegation zone for the first time in 10 weeks.
As well as Pieters, the Rams have also signed Roofe and Hendrick, while Martyn Waghorn has also come out of retirement to aid their survival push - with his arrival confirmed over the weekend.
Former Burnley and Newcastle midfielder Hendrick is yet to feature despite two appearances on the bench, while ex-Rangers and Leeds forward Roofe is out with a hamstring injury he picked up after just two appearances and nine minutes of football.
Pompey have also dipped into the free-agent market following the close of the January transfer window. Former Sweden international defender Alexander Milosevic was recruited in February following injuries suffered by centre-back pairing Rob Atkinson and Hayden Matthews.
The 33-year-old, however, is still waiting to make his Blues debut with just seven games of the season remaining - including the upcoming head-to-head with the Rams.
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