Derby confident of poaching rival Championship boss due to disconnect with club’s owners
Derby are confident of attracting John Eustace to the club with Blackburn’s boss frustrated with their January business, talkSPORT understands. It’s understood that there is a disconnect between him and the club’s owners. Blackburn are reluctant to lose John Eustace amid interest from DerbyGetty Warne’s stint at Derby lasted just shy of three yearsGetty Blackburn don’t want to lose Eustace and will demand that Derby pay his compensation in full. That amount is understood to be around £750,000. The Rams hope to bring in Eustace to replace Paul Warne with an official approach now made. It is also understood Derby would be confident in prising Eustace away, despite a 16-place gap separating the teams in the Championship. The Rams axed Paul Warne on Friday after 869 days in charge. Derby made the decision just 24 hours before their next Championship fixture away to Norwich, which ended in a 1-1 draw. First team coach Matt Hamshaw will lead Derby until they find Warne’s replacement, which could very well be Eustace if the club has its way. However, no contact has been made between the clubs at present. Should Blackburn give Derby the green light to speak with Eustace, it is expected the Rams will have to fork out compensation to bring him to Pride Park. It would mark Eustace’s second spell at Derby having made 62 appearances for the club as a player. Eustace could be set for a return to Pride Park after almost a decade awayGetty He initially moved to Derby in the 2008/09 Championship season on loan from Watford before eventually joining the Rams on a permanent basis in 2013. However, his time at Derby and playing career was curtailed when he suffered a serious knee injury in January 2015. He was released by the club at the end of the season and despite being linked with a move to Scottish giants Rangers, Eustace elected to hang up the boots. Eustace was soon thrust into managerial life when he took over as Kidderminster Harriers boss in June 2016. The 45-year-old took on a handful of assistant manager roles before returning to a head coaching gig when he was appointed Birmingham City boss in July 2022. Under Eustace, the Blues finished with 53 points in the 22/23 Championship season, their highest tally since 2017. The 45-year-old has impressed during his separate spells at Birmingham and BlackburnGetty However, Eustace was controversially sacked by the Blues in October 2023 despite having the club sitting in sixth as Birmingham swiftly replaced him with Wayne Rooney. It turned out to be a disastrous decision as Rooney was later sacked after just two wins from 15 games, with the club eventually relegated down to League One. As for Eustace, he returned to management last February with Blackburn. He kept the Lancashire outfit safe from relegation and has the club firmly in contention for the play-offs this term as the club sits sixth on 45 points. It is a feat made all the more impressive given he lost Sammie Szmodics, who bagged 27 goals for Blackburn last season, in the summer to Ipswich Town. As for Derby, they lie 22nd in the table, 16 places below Blackburn, and are two points from safety. The Rams were also on a seven-game losing streak, scoring just three goals in that run, but a draw against Norwich stopped the rot.
Derby are confident of attracting John Eustace to the club with Blackburn’s boss frustrated with their January business, talkSPORT understands.
It’s understood that there is a disconnect between him and the club’s owners.
Blackburn don’t want to lose Eustace and will demand that Derby pay his compensation in full.
That amount is understood to be around £750,000.
The Rams hope to bring in Eustace to replace Paul Warne with an official approach now made.
It is also understood Derby would be confident in prising Eustace away, despite a 16-place gap separating the teams in the Championship.
The Rams axed Paul Warne on Friday after 869 days in charge.
Derby made the decision just 24 hours before their next Championship fixture away to Norwich, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
First team coach Matt Hamshaw will lead Derby until they find Warne’s replacement, which could very well be Eustace if the club has its way.
However, no contact has been made between the clubs at present.
Should Blackburn give Derby the green light to speak with Eustace, it is expected the Rams will have to fork out compensation to bring him to Pride Park.
It would mark Eustace’s second spell at Derby having made 62 appearances for the club as a player.
He initially moved to Derby in the 2008/09 Championship season on loan from Watford before eventually joining the Rams on a permanent basis in 2013.
However, his time at Derby and playing career was curtailed when he suffered a serious knee injury in January 2015.
He was released by the club at the end of the season and despite being linked with a move to Scottish giants Rangers, Eustace elected to hang up the boots.
Eustace was soon thrust into managerial life when he took over as Kidderminster Harriers boss in June 2016.
The 45-year-old took on a handful of assistant manager roles before returning to a head coaching gig when he was appointed Birmingham City boss in July 2022.
Under Eustace, the Blues finished with 53 points in the 22/23 Championship season, their highest tally since 2017.
However, Eustace was controversially sacked by the Blues in October 2023 despite having the club sitting in sixth as Birmingham swiftly replaced him with Wayne Rooney.
It turned out to be a disastrous decision as Rooney was later sacked after just two wins from 15 games, with the club eventually relegated down to League One.
As for Eustace, he returned to management last February with Blackburn.
He kept the Lancashire outfit safe from relegation and has the club firmly in contention for the play-offs this term as the club sits sixth on 45 points.
It is a feat made all the more impressive given he lost Sammie Szmodics, who bagged 27 goals for Blackburn last season, in the summer to Ipswich Town.
As for Derby, they lie 22nd in the table, 16 places below Blackburn, and are two points from safety.
The Rams were also on a seven-game losing streak, scoring just three goals in that run, but a draw against Norwich stopped the rot.
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