Marriott hopes for another chance to lead line
JACK Marriott hopes he has done enough to keep his place when Derby County return to Championship action at the weekend.
Marriott joined the Rams from Peterborough United over the summer - one of nine signings made by manager Frank Lampard.
The 24-year-old won the League One Golden Boot last season and scored 33 goals in all competitions.
That form earned him a chance to test himself at a higher level with Derby.
Marriott had to wait until the trip to Queens Park Rangers to make his first Championship start but he took his chance, scoring his first Championship goal to put the visitors in front.
Derby had to settle for a 1-1 draw as they were pegged back by QPR but Marriott’s performance caught the eye.
He has now made 10 appearances for Lampard’s men, seven of which have come as a substitute.
His first goal came in the memorable Carabao Cup third round victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Lampard was full of praise for Marriott after the QPR game and the former Luton Town man certainly seems to be hitting his stride now.
“As I’ve said before, the summer was a whirlwind for me but we’re into the season now and I’m ready to go when called upon,” said Marriott.
“It’s a tough league, everyone knows how hard the Championship is.
“I’ve been a witness to it, come on in matches and now I’ve made my first start.
“It was a tough game, at a tough place to go to but to be disappointed not to take the three points is not necessarily a bad thing.” Marriott took the place of experienced team-mate David Nugent, who he has been learning a lot from.
“I’ll always back my ability, always work hard and continue to learn and continue to develop and continue to want to get better,” Marriott added.
“And I’m learning from Nuge. As the gaffer said the other day, I’ve got one of the best role models you can have - and that is paying dividends.”
Marriott will be looking to keep his place in the side when Derby resume their campaign following the international break against Sheffield United at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday (5.30pm).
“Of course, you want to keep the momentum, almost, by having another game straight away - but we’ll be in training and I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
“We can look back at games, look at the positives, look at a few things we can learn - and then we’ll go again.
“We’ll work hard and we’ll be ready when the next game comes around.”
Derby are eighth in the table after 12 matches.
Marriott feels the Rams could have picked up more points than they have.
“We’re frustrated to an extent, because I think we’ve played some good stuff and we’ve been unlucky at times,” he said.
“But we’re a strong group and we’ll stick with it and continue to push.”
I’ve got one of the best role models you can have - and that is paying dividends Jack Marriott on David Nugent