Derby County head coach John Eustace says he’d like to see on-loan Blues forward Sammie Szmodics move to Pride Park on a permanent basis in the summer.

Szmodics joined the Rams on deadline day at the end of January transfer window and has so far scored two goals in 10 starts.

The 30-year-old has another two years on his Town contract but is unlikely to play for the Blues again, boss Kieran McKenna having said Szmodics’s departure was “in the best interests of our group dynamic” after he had been loaned to Derby.


Asked whether the Irish international’s loan is a switch he would like to become permanent at the end of the season, Eustace, whose side are eighth in the Championship, three points off the play-offs with two to play, was in no doubt.

“Of course it is,” he told the Derby Telegraph, the two having previously worked together at Blackburn. “Sammie’s a fantastic human being. He’s great in the dressing room.

“He's a top player still. He hasn’t scored as many goals as we’d like for sure and he could have had more assists.

“But I think he gets the best out of players such as Bobby Clark, Jaydon Banel, Carlton Morris and Patrick Agyemang.

“The way he drives his standards every day and the way he performs is key and it’s another good Championship player that comes into the squad.

“Even if he’s not playing, he’ll still help the group. And when we’re bringing players in, I know possibly there might have been a few question marks about certain players who should be playing in front of him.

“But over the course of the season and during the Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday week, you need that quality to come through and he’s been there and done it.

“He's got the T-shirt and I think we’re very fortunate to have a player of that ilk at the football club and I’d love to be able to keep him here going into next season. I know he’s going to be even better going into next year.”

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