"We've got nothing to lose" - Derby County backed to sign ex-Premier League player | OneFootball

Jeff Hendrick is training with the Rams, nine years after leaving the club.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Derby County's survival hopes are hanging by a thread, with a seven-point gap separating them and safety with just 11 games left to go in the Championship.

Hull City's 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle in mid-week saw the deficit to the Rams increase to its current point, with Cardiff City now sat in 21st place.

John Eustace needs to pick up points quickly to have any chance of saving the club he joined just last month from the drop. His new team have lost all of his first three games in charge, failing to score, while they have also conceded six times.

Derby welcome their head coach's former club Blackburn Rovers to Pride Park on Friday, with a frosty atmosphere in the stands and the dugout almost a certainty. However, there could be one more familiar face watching on in DE24.

Verdict made on Jeff Hendrick's potential Derby move

The Telegraph's John Percy revealed on Thursday that Jeff Hendrick is training with the Rams after leaving Newcastle United following the expiration of his contract at the end of last season.

The midfielder left the East Midlands outfit in 2016 for £10.5m, joining then-Premier League side Burnley after spending five years in the first team at Pride Park.

However, with David Ozoh out injured for the rest of the season, Eustace needs cover in midfield and the 33-year-old could provide that.

Football League World has asked their Derby Fan Pundit, Shaun Woodward, if he would like to see the ex-Republic of Ireland international put on the black-and-white shirt once again.

He told FLW: "We've got to the stage of the season where we may as well chance our arm and play a few of these free agents. We've got nothing to lose.

"We're going down with a whimper at this rate. So, if John Eustace has seen something in Jeff Hendrick while he's been training with us and he thinks he can add something to our midfield, then I'm all for it."

Shaun continued: "The midfield's been absolutely useless this season. Let's be honest, we're not creating anything. They huff and puff, but there's no quality in there. Hendrick is a proven Championship player.

"He might well be another Ben Osborn, and we might find out his legs have gone, but we won't know unless he plays. So, I'm all for it at the stage of the season, we've got nothing to lose by bringing him in for a couple of months.

"So if Eustace thinks he's going to add something to the to the squad, then I'm all for it."

Derby must be cautious with Hendrick

While the Rams do need cover in central midfield, Hendrick has been without a club for some time now and he has struggled in the last couple of seasons for any sort of consistency.

He was a star during his time at Pride Park in the 2010s, but he is now coming to the end of his career and it is unclear just how well he will be able to adapt to the battle of the Championship if brought in.

Eustace expects that after another week of training he will be ready to come in with the group, and this suggests that plans are in place to sign him until the end of the season and he will become Derby's second free agent signing in the last few weeks following Kemar Roofe's arrival.

Nevertheless, it is obvious that the head coach trusts him and his experience could be crucial in the final games of the campaign.