"He's one to really look out for" - Derby County wonderkid touted for exciting future | OneFootball

FLW's Derby County fan pundit has predicted a big future for rising star Dajaune Brown

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 prospect Dajaune Brown has been earmarked for an exciting future in the game.

The 18-year-old is a product of the Rams' academy system, which has also produced the likes of Eiran Cashin, Jason Knight, Max Bird and Jayden Bogle in recent years.

Brown will be hoping to emulate the successes of those who have came before him in the years to come, and there is wide expectation that he will do exactly that.

After plundering goals for fun for Derby's under-18 and under-21 sides, Brown was offered his first taste of sustained first-team football in January by agreeing a loan move with National League side Gateshead until the end of the season.

It was an opportunity which he firmly seized with both hands, scoring nine times from 22 appearances as Gateshead secured a play-off spot while tasting glory at Wembley by seeing off Macclesfield in the FA Trophy.

Brown has made nine senior appearances for Derby at the time of writing, with Paul Warne deciding to keep the hotshot striker at Pride Park for the 2024/25 Championship campaign after confirming that eight EFL clubs had enquired after his loan availability during the summer.

Derby County, Dajaune Brown verdict offered

We asked our resident Rams fan pundit, Shaun Woodward, to name one Derby player he believes will represent the club's next breakthrough star, and he promptly went with Brown.

Shaun explained to Football League World.

"He's already in the first-team squad, Paul Warne has resisted the temptation to put him out on loan which shows he really rates him. He gives us an option off the bench, he's raw, he's quick, he's big and strong and he clearly knows where the goal is.

"I know he only did it in the National League but the fact is, at 18 years old he's gone out into men's football and scored lots of goals and they raved about him, he was the matchwinner for them on many occasions, which ended up with an appearance at Wembley.

"For someone so young, he's already got some experience in men's football and he's only going to get better. Every day he's training with Championship players so for me, he's one to really look out for over the next two or three years.

"I think he'll need a couple more loans, maybe out to a League Two or League One side, and then step-up into the first-team. But I think he could be one for the future for Derby, real talent and bags of potential so I'm excited to see how his career progresses."

Dajaune Brown's Derby County chance may arrive this season

Despite Brown's tender age and, indeed, the surprisingly-strong early-season form exhibited by his side, he may well receive a tangible audition in the Derby first-team before long.

Warne's side are currently in the top-half of the Championship and have started the season better than many had expected, although there are lingering concerns about where the goals are going to come from on a consistent basis.

Derby have scored just five open play goals, while starting striker Jerry Yates is yet to open his account after agreeing a season-long loan deal from league rivals Swansea City.

James Collins, meanwhile, is still waiting for his first league goal following five attempts and Wolves loanee Tawanda Chirewa, who can play through the middle or out wide, has not made an impression just yet.

In an ideal world, Derby would perhaps want to nurture Brown with a more patient and gradual approach regarding his first-team integration. However, their struggling striker stable may well neccesitate a quicker opportunity for him to vindicate his potential at some stage this term.