"I'm not really surprised" - Exclusive: Don Goodman reacts to Derby County transfer update | OneFootball

The centre-back has penned a new three-year deal at Pride Park

Don Goodman has praised Derby County as the club struck a fresh contract agreement with experienced centre-back, Matt Clarke.

The defender, who had previously been on the Rams' books between 2019 and 2021 during two loan spells from Premier League side, Brighton and Hove Albion, was initially signed on a short-term contract in January from Middlesbrough after Football League World exclusively revealed the East Midlands club were in pole position to land his services.

His return to Pride Park came just prior to Paul Warne's dismissal, before John Eustace returned to the club which he featured for between 2013 and 2015 on February 13th, with the clear initial remit of preserving Derby's Championship status in their first season after gaining automatic promotion from League One.

The aforementioned objective was eventually achieved on the final day of the season as a goalless draw with Stoke City in DE24 saw the club finish one point and three places above Luton Town, who suffered back-to-back relegations from the Premier League and into the third-tier.

It was then revealed that Derby had no fewer than 11 players out-of-contract heading into the season's official conclusion date of June 30th, with Eustace keen to tie down those who bring plenty of experience into what has been a strong rearguard in the campaign's final months as the Rams climbed out of the bottom three at just the right time.

Despite ending the campaign in 19th, the Rams ended the season with the second-best defensive record in the Championship's bottom half (59 conceded) and kept 11 clean sheets across their 46 games.

Clarke played a part in six of those and also netted in a crucial 2-0 win over Coventry City on March 11th, effectively making the club's decision to offer the 28-year-old a three-year contract a no-brainer, which Goodman agreed with as he exclusively spoke to Football League World.

"I think, despite conceding four goals in John Eustace's first game away at Queens Park Rangers, under him, Derby County have only conceded 14 goals in the final 14 games of the season," the Sky Sports pundit explained.

"That includes the four they conceded against QPR. So, clearly, John Eustace got them really, really well organised and that resulted in them putting a run together which staved off relegation to League One," he added.

"Matt Clarke played in every one of those games. I think in 13 of them he played the full 90 minutes, so he was absolutely pivotal," Goodman stated.

"I'm not really surprised that Derby County have rewarded him with a new contract. I think he's earned it," he concluded.

Derby County's defensive solidity provides John Eustace with a platform heading into 2025/26

One of Eustace's key strengths during his managerial career to date with the Rams, Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City has been having a dependable back-line which then gives attacking players a platform to express themselves in the final third.

Of course, that hasn't happened as much as he would've liked in terms of an overall goal return throughout the season, with a return of 48 goals the joint-third lowest in the division, despite the fact that Jerry Yates made it into double-figures with 10 goals in 42 league appearances.

That has to change heading into next season if the East Midlands side are to progress up the second-tier table, but the January additions of Clarke and Sondre Langas played a huge part in their initial survival mission, as well as the form of cult-hero, Craig Forsyth, who Eustace is also eager to keep at the club after a run of consistent performances at the heart of defence or at left-wing back.