Derby County star could come back to haunt Wayne Rooney after class Coventry City display | OneFootball

The midfielder excelled against the Sky Blues on Wednesday, and will be hoping to get one over this weekend against his former manager.

Derby County broke their six-game winless run on the road on Wednesday evening to finally get their first three points away from home this season against Coventry City.

Jerry Yates' second goal since joining on loan from Swansea City in the summer, and a Bobby Thomas own goal was enough to see the Rams past the Sky Blues at the CBS Arena, with the visitors holding out despite a late Tatsuhiro Sakamoto strike to halve the deficit.

It was a result that took Paul Warne's side up to 13th in the table, three points ahead of the relegation zone, and it was also one that ultimately cost Mark Robins his job, with Coventry sacking their long-serving manager on Thursday morning.

Nevertheless, it was an incredibly important victory for Derby, who welcome former boss, Wayne Rooney, and his Plymouth Argyle team to Pride Park on Saturday.

It's a very important game down at the bottom of the Championship, and one of those whose debut came under Rooney while he was at the Rams will be hoping for a repeat of his midweek performance.

Liam Thompson was excellent against Coventry

Liam Thompson's injury record has not been great during his short career so far, but when he has got on the pitch in black-and-white, the 22-year-old has been near-exceptional every single time.

One of the Rams' academy graduates, the midfielder put in a performance to be proud of against Coventry on Wednesday, despite not starting in a league game since April, when his side beat Cambridge United in the second-to-last match of the 2023/24 campaign.

His involvement this season had been relatively limited ahead of the clash with the Sky Blues, but he showed no signs of rustiness, with his constant pressing and energy a huge reason behind his team's win.

Despite his stature, Thompson is able to be an awkward opponent for rival midfielders, and he won three of his five duels in the middle of the park at the CBS Arena. He also made four recoveries, proving his tenacity and desire to get back and help out defensively.

The 22-year-old was not just excellent off the ball, but also on it. He completed 84% of his passes, he had 100% dribble success and proved to be a constant presence, getting onto the ball 43 times, as per FotMob.

Thompson will hope to show his former manager his progress

While he was impressive on Wednesday, Thompson must show that this is not just a one-time thing, and he must put in a performance that matches it against Plymouth at the weekend.

Warne put his trust in the young midfielder to compliment Kenzo Goudmijn in midfield, something that he did, allowing the Dutchman to have more time on the ball and pick out passes, a part of his game that shone through.

There is also an extra incentive for Thompson against the Pilgrims as he comes up against his former manager, Rooney, for the first time since he left the Rams in 2022.

The Manchester United legend handed the academy graduate his league debut in the 2021/22 campaign, and it could be something that comes back to haunt him if his effort against the Sky Blues is anything to go by.

Derby have struggled in the middle of the park since David Ozoh picked up an injury in September against Cardiff City, but with Thompson back in the fold, there looks to be a more solid trio in place, and one that can be built around at Pride Park.