Max Bird has admitted he will really ‘miss’ three of his Derby County teammates ahead of his exit.
Max Bird has been at Derby County since he was 10 years old, before going onto make his senior debut days before his 16th birthday.
The midfielder has been a regular in the Rams’ starting line-up for the past four seasons and played a key role in helping them win promotion back to the Championship this term – netting six goals and providing seven assists.
Bird’s form has long attracted interest though, and he is now finally set to leave Pride Park this summer.
The 23-year-old’s exit was confirmed in February, joining Bristol City on a three-and-a-half year contract, before going back out on loan to Derby.
The 2-0 win over Carlisle United was his last match for the Rams, signing off with an early opener.
Max Bird admits it will be really ‘difficult’ to leave his teammates
Bird has given a heartfelt interview with the club, and has also named the three players he will really ‘miss’ ahead of his move to Ashton Gate.
Speaking to Derby County’s official website on Eiran Cashin, Louie Sibley and Liam Thompson, he said: “I’ll miss them. We’ve grown up together, we’ve had success together, we’ve been relegated together and promoted together. We all came through at different times.
“Me, Cash and Tommo sit next to each other in the changing room and there’s loads of little things like that I’ll miss. It’s part of football, moving on. New challenges and new opportunities come but it will be tough. They’ve helped me on and off the pitch. To leave them and to go somewhere else will be difficult but it’s something I’m looking forward to.”
How do Derby County cope without the 23-year-old?
Max Bird isn’t the only academy player that has been linked with the exit door, with both Cashin and Sibley earning themselves plenty of interest in recent years.
The former looked set to secure himself a move to the Premier League before signing a new contract this season, though the Rams could well have lost their star players this summer if they had failed to win promotion.
Derby’s place in the Championship should guarantee them a safety net with some of their prized assets, but they will be well aware that their young talents are likely to be subject to bids in the coming months.
Paul Warne‘s side really can’t afford to lose any further first-team players though, as heading into the new season with an even weaker team will make staying up incredibly difficult.
Delving into the transfer market themselves will give them great hope though, with a new striker surely high on their priority list.
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