"Little bit off the pace" - Claim made on Ben Osborn at Derby County | OneFootball

The former Sheffield United midfielder has struggled with an injury, but has done well when on the pitch.

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...

Ben Osborn's homecoming perhaps felt like it was never going to happen. However, since making the move back to Derby County in the summer, he has already made a connection with supporters.

The 30-year-old left the Rams at the age of eight, and made the switch back to his hometown following the expiration of his contract at Sheffield United.

A boyhood fan of the club, Osborn went on to play for bitter rivals Nottingham Forest, even scoring the winner against Derby at Pride Park nine years ago, before making his return to the team that he watched in his younger days.

However, despite the Rams' good start to the new campaign, particularly at home, an injury picked up in the second game of the season has seen his involvement fairly limited.

Nevertheless, there is plenty more to come from the versatile midfielder, and with his experience, he could be a key player for Paul Warne as the season starts to progress.

Osborn has had a decent start when fit

Osborn was arguably Derby's best player against Blackburn Rovers on the opening night of the campaign.

The Rams were taught a relatively harsh lesson by John Eustace's side as they re-introduced themselves to the Championship. But, the midfielder was the driving force in the middle of the park when his team were on top throughout the first 20 minutes of the second half.

He was also part of the Rams side that picked up a 1-0 win at home to Middlesbrough the following week, but since then he has made just two appearances following a minor injury.

Football League World asked their Derby Fan Pundit, Shaun Woodward, what he thought of Osborn's start to life in black-and-white.

"When Osborn’s played, I think he's looked quite tidy," he started. "He's clearly got a lot of experience in the Championship and higher, and I think that's shone through at times, but unfortunately, he's not really been fit, so it's hard to judge him until he's had a run of games, and he gets to the pace of it.

"So, I think on Saturday he looked a little bit off the pace. He certainly gives his all for the team, but, it's hard to really say until this next run of games. I think he'll get that now Ozoh's out injured, which is a massive shame for Derby because that boy looks class."

Shaun continued: "But Osborn looks neat and tidy. I'm sure he's a good leader on the pitch. You don't really get to hear that when you're watching on the tele, but I'm sure that other players will appreciate having him on the pitch, but until he's got a run of games, it's hard to really judge him.

"He's done okay so far, we just need him to get fit and manage his game-time until he's up to speed."

Derby fans should be excited to see more of Osborn

Supporters have enjoyed seeing one of their own out on the Pride Park pitch so far this season, and although he has not been able to be as involved as much as he probably would have liked to have been, all the signs are there for him to be a major player in 2024/25.

Osborn has made 270 appearances in the Championship alone in his career, and this experience will be key as the campaign develops and Derby continue to improve.

David Ozoh's injury will see the 30-year-old more involved in the coming weeks, particularly as it looked difficult for him to find a place in the team following the success that the Rams' midfield has had.

As he regains match sharpness, his performances will start to get back to the level that he expects of himself, and this will only be beneficial to Warne and Derby's loyal supporters.