Derby manager Paul Warne: ‘I won’t put a ceiling on expectation’

It is a glorious summer afternoon at Derby County’s training ground and Paul Warne – minus his trademark bobble hat – is closely watching a set-piece routine. The mood among the squad is buoyant after Derby’s return to the Championship, and there is a tangible buzz of excitement ahead of Friday’s season opener away at Blackburn Rovers.

“It’s great at this time of year – none of the players hate me yet because I haven’t picked a team,” says a smiling Warne, as we walk to his office. “This is probably the nicest time to be a manager when the pitches are great, there’s new balls, new kit and new signings.

“You’re trying to bring in your whole culture, and what the team stands for, and then slowly but surely the first game gets closer.”

This will be Warne’s ninth season as a manager as well as his 100th match in charge and, despite the anticipation of what lies ahead, he knows that headaches and stress are around the corner. Warne describes this outlook as “catastrophising”.

It will not be too long until those serene mornings walking Chief, his Red Fox Labrador, through Clumber Park feel like a lifetime ago.

“The Championship is a colossal beast, isn’t it?” says Warne. “There’s so many teams that have been in the Premier League. We’re not the only club with a nice training ground and big stadium.

“The strength in depth at most clubs is a joke. We took Ebou Adams from Cardiff on loan last season and he was their sixth-choice midfielder.

“I thought the standard dropped after Covid but it now feels as if it’s had a resurgence and an injection of cash. A lot of sleeping giants have been dormant for a few years and now seem to be thinking ‘we’re either selling or we’re going to have a go again’.”

‘It’s a strong league and there will be testing times’

Derby are unquestionably one of those sleeping giants, and expectations will be high as they return to the Championship for the first time since May 2022.

Over 21,000 season tickets have been sold and the arrival of eight new signings so far has enhanced the feelgood factor around this famous old club.

Last season’s League One runners-up, Derby’s first promotion in 17 years included their highest points total in a season (92), most away wins (13), a league-high 24 goals from set-pieces and the best defensive record. It was Warne’s fourth promotion from the third tier, after three with former club Rotherham.

“When we came in we thought that if we got Derby back into the Championship, we’d have a chance to push on from there,” says Warne.“I won’t put a ceiling on expectation but it’s a really strong league and there’s going to be testing times. It’s about not losing back-to-back matches and putting a run together.

“We hope to surprise people and there’s no reason why we can’t do really well.”

Warne is very close with his players, regularly sending memes and gifs on WhatsApp to keep spirits up. Last Thursday, he staged a family day at Moor Farm where the partners and children of players came in to watch training. Yet Warne is growing increasingly uncomfortable with the influence and number of agents, and has advised his squad to stay off social media.

He says one of his most difficult moments was shortly after the end of last season when he had to inform players out of contract that the journey was over. Though not a tough disciplinarian, there is a fines system in place. “We take a big Derby badge to every away game, put it on the dressing room floor, and if anyone steps on that it’s a massive fine,” he says.

“Lateness is also a huge issue for me, I can’t bear it. I’ve even had a light put outside the meeting room and if that’s on and people aren’t in the room it’s an instant fine. No phones in the canteen either.”

‘We thought the training ground was soulless... like a hospital’

It was only a little over two years ago when fans were wondering if there would be a club to support. After sliding into administration and sustaining a 21-point deduction in total, Derby were on the brink of oblivion. It required a rescue mission from lifelong fan David Clowes, a local property developer, to save his beloved club from liquidation.

The rebuild since has been a stirring story and Warne, 51, has played a key role since his appointment in September 2022.

He says: “When we came in I felt there was a cloud over the club and it was still nervy. The mood now seems a lot better and we’ve done things around the club that probably don’t sound sexy to the fans.

“We thought the training ground was like a hospital and a bit soulless, so we’ve injected some colour. We’ve got a win wall, a clean sheet wall and in the meeting room there’s a mural of the players. We’re going to get a big picture of all the staff in the canteen so there’s more personality and everyone feels part of it.

“With the success of last season, there’s a good feeling so it does feel like a different place and we’re edging closer towards what the club wants to be.”

Warne has a close relationship with Clowes, the reluctant hero who attended his first Derby match in January 1978.

“We message regularly, I’ll always text him the team the night before and what I think. Sometimes I get a thumbs up or a ‘thank you’. He’s not great on his phone, though, and I’m always joking with his wife Kath about it,” says Warne, laughing.

“He also keeps a very low profile so earlier this year we had a situation where he came to watch training. Corey Blackett-Taylor went over to him and didn’t know who he was. He asked David ‘what do you do here?’, which was hilarious.

“As a boss, he’s great to work for. I need support like anyone else and our relationship is really good. If the day ever comes when we part company there will just be a handshake and a ‘see you later’. I’ll still be in contact with him when I don’t work here.”

‘Our start will either give the players a boost... or a kick in the goolies’

Since Clowes’s £55m takeover the transformation has been startling, though there is still work to be done.

This summer they have introduced a new Sporting Intelligence unit, headed up by former England cricket head of performance Mo Bobat and former national selector Ed Smith.

Recruitment has been a major focus, with the club now determined to expand their scope to the foreign market. Warne has also prioritised more athletic players after noticing a 20 per cent increase in high-speed running from League One.

Kenzo Goudmijn, a £700,000 signing from AZ Alkmaar, arrives with an impressive reputation and the midfielder represents the first transfer fee Derby have paid since Kamil Jozwiak in September 2020.

Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, a goalkeeper from Djurgardens IF, is the most expensive recruit at £1.4 million and he will join up with the team after his current club’s Europa Conference League third round qualifier second leg against Ilves.

Adams signed permanently from Cardiff for £500,000, while there is optimism over the loan addition of Crystal Palace midfielder David Ozoh, 19.

Derby have also received a significant cash boost this summer with £2.7 million in sell-on fees generated from Omari Kellyman (Aston Villa to Chelsea), Liam Delap (Manchester City to Ipswich) and Jayden Bogle (Sheffield United to Leeds). The amount would have been higher but Derby’s administrators, Quantuma, agreed to advance most of Delap’s future sell-on to guarantee up front cash.

It is at Ewood Park where the adventure begins – with 3,600 supporters making the trip – and Warne’s preparations have been meticulous. In the build-up he will make a presentation in front of staff and the squad recalling Derby’s proud past, present and future, and what it means to play for the club.

“We’re all ready and coming into it on a wave of confidence from last season,” he says.

“The first five games are really crucial, our start will either give the mindset of the players a boost or a kick in the goolies.”