"Down the pecking order" - Derby County player tipped for January exit | OneFootball

The 31-year-old has struggled for game time after the Rams earned promotion to the Championship last season

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Derby County have adjusted adequately to life in the Championship this season, with Paul Warne’s side holding their own after earning promotion from League One in the previous campaign.

The Rams have proven to be a solid force in front of their own fans upon their return to the second tier, with the enthusiasm of the Pride Park crowd helping them to a number of impressive victories, although their form on the road could still do with some work.

Having added a mixture of youth and experience to their squad over the summer, County have one of the biggest squads in the division with 29 players on the books, and may be looking to offload some of those not getting game time when January comes along.

We spoke to Football League World’s Derby fan pundit Shaun Woodward about the situation, and who he can see being offloaded as we head in to the New Year.

Tom Barkhuizen tipped for Derby County departure in January

County are a side blessed with a number of attacking options this season, with the likes of Kayden Jackson and Jerry Yates operating through the middle, with a number of players blossoming in the wider roles.

The likes of Marcus Harness, Corey Blackett-Taylor and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing have all proven themselves to be outstanding outlets on the flanks of late, leaving players such as Tom Barkhuizen reduced to a watching brief for the majority of the campaign.

The 31-year-old’s only league start of the season was in the opening weekend away at Blackburn Rovers, and has made just three substitute appearances since, with the latest coming on the final day of August.

It is plain for all to see that the former Preston North End man is surplus to requirements at Pride Park as it stands, and Woodward believes the writing could be on the wall by the time 2025 comes around.

When asked which player could benefit from a January loan move, the Rams fan said: “I think Tom Barkhuizen needs to move on, whether that be on loan or leave permanently. I think he has fallen down the pecking order now.

“We have Kayden Jackson, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Corey Blackett-Taylor, Kane Wilson and Joe Ward can both do jobs on the wings as well, so I think he if fourth, fifth, sixth choice winger now.

“He really needs to go and get and get game time somewhere else, and god forbid if we are back in League One next season, maybe he can do a job for us.

“But if I were him I would be looking to leave, because I don’t think he is going to get much game time, if any.”

Tom Barkhuizen influence on Derby County wanes after Championship promotion

Even during the previous campaign, Barkhuizen was never a guaranteed starter for County, with 18 of his 37 appearances in League One coming from the bench, although he still played his part in the successful promotion push.

With 12 goal contributions across the season, the wide man was still able to influence games in the third tier, with six goals and six assists proving just how much of a difference he could make to Warne’s side whenever he was on the pitch.

But with the upgrade of playing personnel after the step up in division, Barkhuizen has proven to be the fall guy at Pride Park of late, with his involvement and influence nothing like this time 12 months ago.

With his undoubted quality on the ball, dropping back down to League One for the second-half of the campaign could be a tempting proposition for the ex-Blackpool player, who could easily perform for a club who have promotion aspirations.

With his contact with the club expiring next summer, any January decision could well pave the way for the player’s future, with any long-term decision yet to be made about a player who has played his part in getting Derby County to where they are right now.