Derby County have no excuses when it comes to retaining reliable Paul Warne cog: View | OneFootball

With 20 clean sheets in 40 matches, Joe Wildsmith formed the spine of Derby County's formidable defence in the 2023/24 season. However, the 28-year-old is still without a new deal at the Championship-bound club.

After signing as a free agent after leaving Sheffield Wednesday in the summer of 2022, Wildsmith was quickly recognised as the Rams' number one under both Liam Rosenior and Paul Warne. But, Wildsmith is yet to sign a new contract with Derby, leaving him with the possibility of leaving the club at the end of June.

The Sheffield-born goalkeeper has featured 86 times in League One for Derby, keeping 37 clean sheets in the process across his two seasons in the East Midlands.

As reported by the Derbyshire Telegraph in March, Warne explained that contract talks with the squad were on hold until the conclusion of the season. Now, with the knowledge of the Rams' future secured, we're only a matter of days or weeks away from the retained list being released.

Joe Wildsmith: A season of success at Derby

Wildsmith had struggled to break into the first team at Wednesday, and despite being offered a new contract at the club, he decided it was time to move on at the end of the 2021/22 season.

Since joining Derby, Wildsmith has been a rock in between the sticks. He would start in every league match during the 2022/23 season, and nearly helped defeat Liverpool on penalties in the Carabao Cup - saving from Stefan Bajcetic and doing enough to put off Roberto Firmino.

Wildsmith would go on to have the best season of his career in 2023/24, winning the League One Golden Glove, conceding just 31 goals in 40 appearances for the Rams.

His save percentage of 72.1% was the third highest in the division, slightly behind Lincoln City's Lukas Bornhøft Jensen and Portsmouth's Will Norris.

Wildsmith would also win Derby's "Save of the Season" award, for his stop against Bolton Wanderers' Jón Daði Böðvarsson, in the Rams' vital 1-0 victory over their promotion rivals in March.

Derby's lack of real competition for Wildsmith

Derby will be keen to keep Wildsmith under wraps for another few seasons, and with competition for transfers expected to be high this summer, it may be difficult to replace their first choice stopper if he was to move on.

Josh Vickers is Derby's current second choice 'keeper, having signed from Rotherham United at the start of the season, on a deal that lasts until 2026, according to the club's website.

Vickers, 28, made seven appearances in League One this year, keeping two clean sheets. But a thigh injury towards the business end of the season kept him out of the squad for several weeks.

Despite the game time for the former Rotherham goalkeeper, Wildsmith retained his place in the starting XI as the season concluded, helping the Rams on their way to a second place finish in League One.

No excuse for Derby not to retain

With a lack of depth in this area of the pitch, it is imperative that Derby keep Wildsmith. He has been the glue that has held together the Rams' defence in the last two seasons, and Paul Warne may not be able to rely on Vickers as his first choice for an entire campaign, particularly in a higher division.

Many clubs would be lucky to have a player of Wildsmith's calibre, and under 30, he has plenty of years left to stake his claim as one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship. There is no excuse for Derby to not offer him a new contract after a terrific two years with the club. Whether he signs or not is his decision and one that will play out in the coming weeks and Warne will have to act fast if his 'keeper decides to move away from Pride Park.