Derby County Football Club News

• Nickname:The Rams
• Founded:1884
• Manager:Nigel Clough

• Ground:Pride Park
• Capacity:33,597

Rams closing on Connolly

14 May 2008 - 09:03:02

Click To Enlarge

Derby County are set to start their summer rebuilding job with the capture of Plymouth Argyle right-back Paul Connolly.

The 24-year-old has decided to leave the Pilgrims after eight years at Home Park and is close to agreeing a switch to the relegated Rams, whose manager Paul Jewell is hoping to make a number of further signings in the near future.

He told the Evening Telegraph: "At one stage I thought maybe not major surgery, but quite a bit of tweaking. Now I've come to the conclusion that the sooner a number of the players leave Derby, the better both for us and them.

"There's no hard feelings and it's nothing personal. We've got to change it around.

"We will, by the end of the month, be able to announce five new signings, maybe six, maybe seven.

"And that won't be the end of it. We want to continue right through the summer and beyond, because we all know the team needs major surgery."

Of Connolly, Jewell added: "The kid is very keen to come and fits the bill for me.

"It might not get people jumping off their seats as far as names are concerned, but he's athletic, he's 6ft 1in and he's hungry and a fighter.

"That's what I want to bring here, as well as some quality, which he has got. He's hungry and delighted to hopefully be joining us."