Matt Hamshaw reveals Derby County dressing room reaction to Paul Warne sacking | OneFootball

Paul Warne was dismissed by Derby County before Saturday's Norwich City clash

Derby County caretaker manager Matt Hamshaw has revealed the dressing room reaction to Paul Warne’s dismissal.

The Rams opted to sack the 51-year-old on Friday after on the pitch struggles led to seven defeats in a row.

Warne had been in charge since September 2022 since his move from Rotherham United, overseeing their promotion back to the Championship in 2024.

However, the club’s survival in the second tier had become under threat due to their poor form, leading to a change being made in the dugout on the eve of County's trip to Norwich City this past weekend.

Matt Hamshaw reveals Derby County dressing room disappointment over Paul Warne decision

Hamshaw, who was an assistant of Warne's since 2016 at both Rotherham and Derby, has revealed that he spoke to him following his exit on Friday, and that it coming before Derby faced his boyhood club Norwich City on Saturday made it especially tough to take.

He has also claimed that the dressing room was devastated about the news of his exit, praising his character and reaction to the exit.

“I spoke to him six or seven times since the news. It’s tough to take,” Hamshaw said, via Derbyshire Live.

“I think obviously his family, relatives, his friends - and it sounds really bad - but we're at Norwich and I know how much this football club means to him.

"But the decision was made.

“I spoke to him just before we left [for the stadium], and he wanted the players to be really positive.

“He sent a message, which is the kind of bloke he is, about going out and winning the game and putting things behind you.

“And don't worry about him, because that is the selfless person he is.

“Obviously it's been a really tough and sad 24 hours, speaking personally.

“We got the news about Paul leaving, and there was a lot of devastation in the dressing room.

“It sounds far-fetched, but forget about Paul being a football manager.

“He is an unbelievable guy, and the players were close to him.”

With Hamshaw in caretaker charge, Derby ended their seven game losing run with a draw at Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon.

A 1-1 draw was secured courtesy of a stoppage time penalty from Jerry Yates, who fired home to rescue a point for the Rams on their travels.

That result has left them still in the relegation zone, sitting 22nd in the table, and next up for Derby is a home clash against Oxford United on February 11.

Paul Warne reaction speaks to how liked he was at Derby County

Warne seemingly never lost the dressing room even when the team’s form fell apart in the final weeks of his tenure, and considering Derby were expected to be in a relegation battle from the start of the season, given the tough nature of the Championship, there will have been no kick-offs around their league position.

That does indeed speak volumes about Warne as a person, and is something other clubs will take note of when looking for a new manager either now, next summer or in the 2025-26 season when the managerial merry-go-round kicks off again.

The timing was awkward due to the closing of the January window, but it was hard to justify keeping Warne in charge given their form.

It’s hard to imagine that Warne will be out of football for too long given his reputation, and being a League One promotion specialist, perhaps that is where he will head next.