Cole and Harry can light way for Lamps
HARRY WILSON showed he has the fearlessness of youth to keep Derby’s Premier League push on track.
But Ashley Cole has the streetwise savvy to help Frank Lampard and his kids turn promotion promise into reality.
Lampard hopes Cole will officially check in at Pride Park from LA in the next
48 hours as he bids to make it to the top tier in his first season as manager.
Cole, 38, is close to agreeing a cut-price
£15,000-a-week, six-month contract, following his release from LA Galaxy.
“We want him with us as soon as possible really,” said the Rams boss.
“If it gets done we have got a very good and hugely experienced player who will be very valuable to us.
“In my opinion he was the best English left-back. He is right up there with the very best and it would be great to have him.”
Knowing that Wilson can no longer be called back by his parent club Liverpool following the expiry of the recall cut-off is a further boost for Derby.
“He’s really impressed me in the last six weeks. He has really upped his game on all levels,” said Lampard.
“Everything about his game has improved and I am loving watching him.
“He’s becoming a really important player for us. I am happy he is going to be here for the rest of the season and I hope that he is very happy about being here too.”
Wilson’s cute reverse pass allowed Duane Holmes to spring the offside trap and collect his first Derby goal in the third minute.
Wilson doubled the advantage with a deflected shot off Andy Rinomhota from the edge of the area, after Martyn Waghorn’s pass.
Ovie Ejaria capitalised on a mistake by Fikayo Tomori to set up sub Sone Aluko to half the deficit but Reading could not avoid a 15th league defeat of the season.
Boss Jose Gomes has had five Championship games to assess the task ahead and said: “It gives me hope but we cannot start games like we did and hope to achieve our target of safety.”