Ebou Adams pays tribute to ‘amazing’ John Eustace after Derby County ‘miracle’…
Derby County confirmed their place in the Championship for the 2025/26 campaign with a 0-0 draw at home to Stoke City, as Luton Town were relegated to League One following a 5-3 defeat to West Brom.
Jerry Yates came closest to breaking the deadlock at Pride Park on Saturday afternoon, as he was first denied by Viktor Johansson, before cannoning the ball off the bar with Nat Phillips matching his teammate’s effort straight after.
Nevertheless, John Eustace was able to secure safety in the second tier, which in turn has seen Kane Wilson’s stay at the club extended for another year, while Harrison Armstrong could return to Derby next season.
The Rams looked to be down and out just 11 games ago, but an incredible turnaround has seen them survive by one point, with Derby’s captain, Ebou Adams, acknowledging his head coach’s role over the course of the last couple of months.
Ebou Adams praises John Eustace for keeping Derby County safe
Eustace’s first game in charge of the Rams could not have gone worse, as they were beaten 4-0 by QPR at Loftus Road. Two more defeats followed in his next two games, leaving the team rooted to the foot of the table.
Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images
Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images
However, Derby picked up 21 points in their last 11 games to clinch safety on the final day of the season, with Hull City pulling themselves out of the drop zone in place of Luton, who created history with successive relegations.
Adams, who was made captain by Eustace on his arrival, was quick to praise his head coach following the final whistle. He said (via: BBC Derby Sport): “When we were seven points adrift, it did look scary.
“I give credit to the fans for sticking with us. The gaffer has come and done an amazing job, the boys have stuck by him.
“I’m thankful for everyone for not giving up. It seems like a miracle what we’ve done,” the midfielder concluded.
Position Team Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Diff Points
16
Portsmouth
46 14 12 20 58 71 -13 54
17
Oxford United
46 13 14 19 49 65 -16 53
18
Stoke City
46 12 15 19 45 62 -17 51
19
Derby
46 13 11 22 48 56 -8 50
20
Preston
46 10 20 16 48 59 -11 50
21
Hull City
46 12 13 21 44 54 -10 49
22
Luton.
46 13 10 23 45 69 -24 49
Back-to-back away wins over West Brom and Hull saw Derby go into the final day with an advantage over the Tigers, and this took off some of the pressure as events at The Hawthorns went in both the Rams’ and Stoke’s favour, allowing the two teams to play out a 0-0 draw.
Ebou Adams will be crucial for the Rams next season
As per Glen Williams, the East Midlands paid just £500k for Adams in the summer following an extremely successful loan spell with the club in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign from Cardiff City.
It has proven to be a bargain, with the Gambia international proving to be the screen that Eustace needed in front of his defence, while also featuring further forward when required to help pressurise opposition defences.
He has chipped in with six goals as well, with his consistency over the course of this season seeing him come home with both Derby’s Player of the Year and Player’s Player of the Year awards.
His talent will be required once again in the Championship, and Eustace may be looking to play him in a different role as he may just switch back to his more typical 4-2-3-1 formation that he used at Blackburn Rovers.
Nevertheless, Adams must be allowed to rest up and prepare for next season in his own way, as Derby look to climb the table in 2025/26.
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