Matt Clarke believes it’s all to play for in the Championship as play-off chasing Derby prepare for the resumption of the season on Saturday.
Currently 12th, Phillip Cocu’s men head to eighth-placed Millwall this weekend, knowing that victory would draw them level on points with the Lions.
He said, “We have to hit the ground running - we have nine games to play with lots at stake.
“The first few matches will determine the fate of our season, so we know we have to start well.
“If we can get some wins on the board and build some momentum then that should give us the chance to have a successful end to the year and hopefully get into the play-offs.”
The 23-year-old has made 26 league appearances for the Rams, and his absence was noticeable when he was injured from the middle of November until the end of 2019.
“I’ve had to deal with being left out of the side at times, I’ve had a spell on the sidelines through injury and I’ve played with a variety of players in defence,” he said.
“I think I’ve played in three or four different centre back partnerships and with three or four different full-back partnerships.
“That takes time to adapt to, but it’s been very positive for me. Every Championship side has a high level of quality with players that can really hurt you.
“It’s been a year of progress for me and I’ve learnt a lot. I’ve had to deal with a few things that I’ve not come up against before so that’s been a challenge.
“But the whole point of the loan was to go out and learn and I feel like I’m in a better place now than I was at the start of the season.”
Two notable faces that Clarke has been working with are Wayne Rooney and former Albion defender and under-23 coach Liam Rosenior.
“Playing and training with Wayne has been really good - his hunger and passion for the game are clear to see,” added Clarke.
“That’s infectious and training with him every day makes you realise how he’s reached the fantastic levels in the game that he has. At times you just have to admire what he can do.
“I’ve also done a lot of one-to-one work with Liam, whether that be looking at clips together or out on the training pitch doing practical work.
“The thing you admire about Liam is the level of detail he goes into with his work. It’s all about the small things making a big difference with Liam and I’ve really enjoyed working with him.”