Derby County expect a summer of change and one of their players has been linked with a coaching role elsewhere.
Derby have a lot of work to do to prepare their squad for the Championship.
The deadline for revealing the futures of their out-of-contract stars is May 18th, leaving the Rams minimal time to resolve the situation.
A total of 12 players, including top scorer James Collins, academy graduate Louie Sibley and Golden Glove winner Joe Wildsmith, see their contracts at Pride Park expire in June.
Paul Warne has already clamoured to bolster his squad with younger players and extra athleticism to bring down the average age of his side.
Derby had the oldest squad in League One last term, and while that experience helped them win promotion, injuries and fatigue also held them back.
One experienced player who played a massive part in that second-placed finish has now been linked with a coaching role elsewhere.
Conor Hourihane linked with player/coach role at Barnsley
Derby captain Conor Hourihane scored five goals and supplied eight assists in 41 appearances last term.
The ‘wonderful’ 33-year-old is also one of several players out of contract this summer, leaving the Rams with a huge decision to make.
Warne does need added legs and energy in the middle of the park, but playing Hourihane compromises that and the latest reports suggest he could be moving on this summer.
Hourihane has previously said he wants to get into coaching once he hangs up his boots and an early opportunity to do that may have presented itself.
According to the Yorkshire Post, Hourihane’s former employers, Barnsley, are interested in signing the Irish maestro in a player/coaching role, which would end his two-year stay in Derbyshire.
Derby County must let Conor Hourihane depart
Hourihane’s experience is vital in the dressing room but Derby also have plenty of that in the shape of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Collins, Sonny Bradley and Curtis Nelson.
And while letting the midfielder depart would be a bitter pill to swallow for some, returning to his former club Barnsley in a coaching capacity is an opportunity that may appeal to him.
Not only is he joining a club that finished in the League One play-offs last term – a level that suits him well – a door would also be opening on his coaching career.
Given his age and having little time left before he retires from the game, an opportunity to coach and play in the third tier looks like the perfect opportunity.
It also gives Derby an excuse to invest in more energetic and robust midfielders in the Championship and completely rebuild the makeup of their squad.
Hourihane’s future will be decided in the coming days, so it will be interesting to see whether he accepts Barnsley’s proposal or the Rams give him a short-term contract, with the former probably making more sense.
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