Derby County are deep in the relegation battle heading into the final nine games and one man who will be crucial is Ebou Adams.
Derby County boss John Eustace has walked into a tough spot after swapping Blackburn Rovers for the Rams. After a slow start to life at Pride Park, winning none of his first three games, DCFC have won their last two matches.
After two years in League One and a huge squad overhaul in the third tier, it was unknown how well this side would adjust to life back in the Championship. However, not many have managed to make the step up, leaving DCFC in 22nd place.
One man who has been excellent for Derby County though is midfielder Ebou Adams. The Gambian joined the club in the summer from Cardiff City after being key in the Rams’ promotion last season whilst on loan.
Leading the way
The ex-Forest Green man has been a dependable figure for Derby County this season, despite the club’s struggles. After struggling for minutes at this level with Cardiff City, Adams has silenced his doubters, and if his side are successful in the fight for survival, he could send his former club down in the process.
Adams leads the Championship this season as the man with the most tackles completed per game. The Gambian is ahead of the likes of former Luton Town loan ace Tom Krauss and Watford’s Jeremy Ngakia.
Sheffield United’s Vini Souza and Swansea’s Goncalo Franco are closer to Adams in terms of game time, yet he still leads the way with 3.8 tackles per game compared to their 3.2, according to WhoScored.
Becoming a complete midfielder
After showing a lot of promise at Forest Green, Adams’ career stalled slightly after his move to Cardiff City. He made just 13 appearances for the club across one-and-a-half years.
However, he has reinvigorated himself at Derby County. In addition to his excellent defensive capabilities, he has also started adding goals to his game in this campaign.
This season so far has been his best goalscoring season, scoring five in 35 games. At 29, he looks to be coming into his own and with the Rams winning two games on the bounce now under Eustace, Adams could now be the catalyst that keeps DCFC in the division.
Discussion about this post