Football
Exclusive: Ben Osborn to Be Released by Derby with Championship Clubs Already Tracking His Stockport Form
Derby County is set to release midfielder Ben Osborn at the end of the season. Osborn joined the club after leaving Sheffield United, but has no future under manager John Eustace. He is currently on loan at Stockport County and attracting interest from Championship clubs. Osborn has a long history in the Championship, starting his career at Nottingham Forest and later moving to Sheffield United before joining Derby.
Derby County v Cardiff City - Sky Bet Championship by NurPhoto | Getty Images
Ben Osborn will be released by Derby County at the end of the season, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
The midfielder signed a two-year contract at his hometown club after his Sheffield United exit at the end of the 2023/24 season, becoming the Rams’ first signing after their return to the Championship.
But our sources understand he has no future at the club under John Eustace, who revamped his squad with 13 fresh faces through the door at Pride Park this summer.
Eustace, who oversaw the club’s survival after replacing Paul Warne last term, sent Osborn on loan to League One Stockport County on deadline day earlier this season.
There were a number of Championship clubs interested in acquiring the 31-year-old on a temporary basis once it became apparent he was available at the end of the window.
But Osborn opted to reunite with former Blades’ team-mate Oli Norwood, close pals who shared a dressing room for five years in South Yorkshire, at Dave Challinor’s Stockport.
Our sources have been told a number of Championship clubs remain interested in the experienced central midfielder and are monitoring his performances at the Hatters this season.
Experienced Head
After moving from Derby to Nottingham Forest to join the academy when he was nine, Osborn enjoyed a 16-year association with Forest.
He won the Academy Player of the Year Award in 2012 and penned a five-year deal at the club two years later.
During his spell at Forest, Osborn made over 200 league appearances, scoring 15 times, and was named Player of the Season after the 2017/18 campaign.
Osborn joined newly-promoted Sheffield United in 2019 and made 134 appearances for the club, helping them reclaim their Premier League status with automatic promotion and was released after a five-year spell in the summer of 2024.
He played 26 times during his first season back at Derby but solely featured in their two League Cup outings earlier this season before a loan move to Stockport.
Editor's Insight
A loan to League One seems a demotion. But Osborn's career - over 200 games for Forest, a Player of the Season and two promotions with Sheffield United - is much more complicated. Championship clubs look at the big picture over the long term.
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