Porto star
onboard
TeamTal k
RamsDiary
General boosts
the Rams ranks
err
the ram
MAY 15 The retained list reveals
that five out-of-contract players
are offered new deals. Lee Morris,
Giorgi Kinkladze, Adam Murray,
Richard Jackson and Marcus
Tudgay will all meet club officials to
thrash out new terms. But big-
name players like Craig Burley and
Fabrizio Ravanelli are
among the 10 players to
leave.
MAY 28 Club skipper
Warren Barton (right)
has a corrective
operation on his
damaged left shoulder.
JUNE 5 George Burley
is unveiled as the Rams'
new full-time boss in a
two-year deal.
JUNE 19 Crewe defender
David Walton is the first of Burley's
summer recruits, agreeing a one-
year deal subject to a medical.
JUNE 20 Richard Jackson and
Adam Murray agree new deals
with the club but Giorgi Kinkladze
has played his last game for the
Rams after 43 months, 65 starts,
37 substitute appearances and
eight goals. Kinky rejected new
terms with the club. Lee Morris is
expected to put pen-to-paper over
the coming days.
JUNE 24 It's a Burley hat-trick as
the boss signs veteran midfielder
Ian Taylor on the day Dave Walton
passes his medical and
Lee Morris agrees his
new deal.
JULY 4 Young Player of
the Year Pablo Mills
(left) extends his Rams
contract until June
j 2005. The young
defender's target is to
be a regular first
choice during the
coming season.
"There's a lot of
competition for places at the back
but I'll do my best and hope the
gaffer sees me as the best option."
JULY 9 Portugal under-21 winger
Candido Costa joins the Rams on a
one-year loan from FC Porto. Boss
Burley declares the move 'a real
coup for the dub'.
Highly-rated Portugal under-21
star Candido Costa hit the
'net' when he heard it was
Destination Derby.
The 22-year-old FC Porto winger
surfed the worldwide web to swot-
up on his new club - and was
impressed with his findings.
"I didn't know too much about
Derby County when I agreed to join
the club," he admits, "but I spent a
lot of time researching its history on
the internet and discovered that it's a
club with a proud tradition and a
great record. I'm honoured to be
W here."
The on-loan player, who will spend
a season with the Rams, is on a mission to
convince FC Porto boss José Mourinho
that he's worth a place in one of the
strongest club sides in Europe. And he's
convinced a good season with Derby
County could be the key to gaining the
experience needed to fight for a place in
the Porto pack.
"It's important for me to get a good run
in the Derby side because I didn't play
many times for Porto last season and, at
my age, I need to be making regular
appearances.
"I'm the kind of player who never
knows when to quit - I'll always keep
fighting. I am a player with a big heart and
that's important in football.
"I want to score goals, I want to make
goals... and I want to finish this season in
the Premier League."
Rams boss George Burley declared
Costa's arrival a real coup for the club.
"Ffe's a natural ball player, will give us
some width and I have a feeling he'll be a
player who will excite our fans.
"He's an old fashioned type of winger
who likes to hug the touchline, take
people on and make things happen. He
has good awareness and scores goals."
The General's itching
to head into league
battle - and is
determined to lead from
the back...
Big defender Dave
Walton - whose nickname
refers to his battling
qualities - was George
Burley's first signing on his
appointment as
permanent boss. The 30-
year-old left Crewe after
six years, playing a major
part in the Gresty Road
side's successful bid for
promotion last season.
Burley believes that
Walton, like fellow signing
Ian Taylor, will bring
quality and experience to
a Derby outfit featuring a
lot of youngsters.
"I like to say my bit on
the field and get the lads
going," says Walton. "I
want to impose my
authority, do my job and
get clean sheets."
Burley says: "He has
leadership qualities, he's
an honest centre-half and
he'll be battling away for
Derby from day one. In
this division you need
players who can compete
and be brave from start to
finish - Dave can do that."
Derby County ClubCall - 06068 12 I I 87 - for the latest from Pride Park Stadium (calls cost 60p a minute at all times)
