‘He didn’t let anyone down’ – Wayne Rooney reacts after big moment for Derby County player last night against West Brom | OneFootball

Derby County responded to their recent defeat at the hands of Birmingham City by securing a point in their meeting with West Bromwich Albion yesterday.

The Rams had to deal with a tremendous amount of pressure throughout this fixture as the Baggies tried to seal a victory in-front of their own supporters.

However, despite only having 36% possession in this fixture, Derby were able to prevent West Brom from scoring as they secured a positive result at The Hawthorns.

Whilst a host of the club’s players delivered impressive displays in this clash, wing-back Dylan Williams managed to illustrate that he is more than capable of competing at this level.

In his first ever league start for the Rams, Williams helped his side keep a clean-sheet by producing an assured performance.

With Derby now set to face Stoke City on Saturday, it will be intriguing to see whether the teenager is handed another opportunity to impress by manager Wayne Rooney.

Making reference to Williams, Rooney lauded the defender for the impact that he made during yesterday’s 0-0 draw.

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Speaking to the Derby Telegraph about Williams, the Rams boss said: “I thought he was excellent.

“To come to West Brom, top of the league, a difficult team to play against, and so the biggest compliment I can give him is putting him in for this game.

“His first league start, and he didn’t let anyone down.”

The Verdict

Having made a positive impression against West Brom by making two interceptions and producing two tackles in this fixture (as per WhoScored), Williams will now be determined to push on under the guidance of Rooney.

With the Rams opting to turn to some of their academy graduates for inspiration in the opening weeks of the season, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if Williams follows in the footsteps of Jason Knight and Lee Buchanan by becoming a regular member of the club’s starting eleven.

Although the defender lacks experience at this level, he could potentially learn from the likes of Curtis Davies and Phil Jagielka who both know exactly what it takes to succeed in this division.

If Derby are able to build upon their performance against West Brom, there is no reason why they cannot secure all three points in their clash with  Stoke this weekend.