Derby County identify 45-year-old to succeed Paul Warne | OneFootball

Derby County are expected to make an approach to Blackburn as they identify John Eustace as a target to replace Paul Warne.

Blackburn boss John Eustace has emerged as a ‘leading candidate’ to take over from Paul Warne at Derby County.

The Rams hierarchy made the decision to sack Warne on Friday after a run of seven successive defeats left them in the relegation zone ahead of today’s game against Norwich City at Carrow Road.

Derby will now be hoping for a swift appointment, and Telegraph reporter John Percy has revealed that Eustace is a prime target for the Championship strugglers.

Derby County keen on Blackburn’s John Eustace

The update states that whilst no official approach has been made by the Midlands club, Rovers are expecting one, with Derby hoping to have the new man in place by Tuesday night’s crucial fixture against Oxford United at Pride Park.

Even if Blackburn do grant Derby permission to speak to Eustace, they would need to pay compensation to seal the deal.

It’s not clear what the figure is, with Eustace currently contracted to Rovers until the summer of 2026.

John Eustace would be a shrewd appointment for Derby County

This would be a huge appointment for Derby, as Eustace is a relatively young manager who has developed a reputation as a very good coach.

He did an outstanding job at Birmingham in very difficult circumstances, and the quality of his work was highlighted by their struggles after his harsh sacking.

Then, after keeping Blackburn up last season, they have kicked on considerably this season, with the side in the play-off places going into the weekend fixtures. Again, he has done this on a budget, with Rovers punching above their weight at the moment.

Some will naturally question why he would want to leave, as Blackburn have a chance of finishing in the top six, whilst Derby are fighting to stay in the Championship.

But, if Derby do make a formal approach, you would presume they have had encouragement from Eustace’s camp, although it remains to be seen how this plays out, and if he would want to rejoin the club where he ended his playing career.

With Warne leaving at such an important time of the season, David Clowes needs to act quickly, as every game is huge, and the team need a leader in place as they try to stay in the second tier.

So, if it is Eustace, it would be a brilliant appointment, but, if not, then they need to be working on alternatives to get this sorted quickly.

As it stands, Eustace is expected to be in the Blackburn