Lewis Dobbin reacts to Derby County’s 1-0 win over Cambridge United | OneFootball

Lewis Dobbin’s importance to Derby County‘s promotion bid is growing by the week as the 19-year-old’s season-long loan from Everton reaches its halfway stage.

Dobbin scored his first league goal for the Rams, to go with two in cup competitions, to earn the Rams a 1-0 victory over Cambridge United on Friday evening.

The Rams will be enthused by the opportunity that the January transfer window presents, and, with that in mind, this timely run of form could improve Dobbin’s future first team chances.

The England U19 international has played all across a front three this season, and offers something different to James Collins, David McGoldrick and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing in the final third.

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The specialist winger would have had concerns about his place in the side, when Paul Warne, an advocate of three at the back systems, replaced Liam Rosenior in the dugout.

However, due to a lack of defensive personnel, the Rams have been able to climb the table but while deploying a back four, which has freed up an attacking slot in the side that Dobbin is profiting from.

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It cannot be underestimated what Dobbin will gain from working alongside experienced players like Mendez-Laing, Collins and McGoldrick, with the latter causing even high profile Premier League defences problems as recently as 2019/20.

Dobbin’s physical capabilities and eye-catching dribbling may see him head out on loan in the Championship at some stage in the not too distant future, some Rams supporters may be hoping that promotion this season would see them able to lure him back to the club next term.

County will be aiming to cement a place in the top six before speaking about loftier ambitions in the coming months, but if they can build their current ten-game unbeaten run further, there is a small chance that they can apply some pressure on the high-flying trio of Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town and Plymouth Argyle.