Bielik’s place
ROONEY’S VIEWS ON KRYSTIAN,
WAYNE Rooney is in no doubt where he sees Krystian Bielik in Derby County’s team.
Bielik suggested on signing for Derby from Arsenal in the summer of 2019 that centre-back was his preferred position. Rooney begs to differ.
“He’s not a centre-back in my eyes. I think his best position is in midfield. As long as I’m in charge, he won’t be playing centre-back!” said the Rams’ interim boss.
Bielik’s form adds weight to Rooney’s theory.
The Polish international has started the last five matches following his return to full fitness after a serious knee injury and he produced a classy performance in the last game, a 2-0 home victory over Swansea City.
“Overall, I thought it was a top performance from him. He has shown what a very good player he is,” said Rooney.
So is Bielik ready to fulfil the promise that made former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger splash out a reported £2.4m for him from Legia Warsaw in 2015?
Bielik was 17 at the time and, the following year, Wenger said: “He has developed very well and for me he has all the attributes to be a great player.”
Loan spells with Birmingham City and Walsall were followed by a successful one-season stay with Charlton Athletic.
Bielik helped the Addicks to win promotion through the League One play-offs. He played 34 games in all competitions, scoring four goals in both centre-back and defensivemidfield positions, and he was man of the match in the play-off final victory over Sunderland.
He was a key figure in Lee Bowyer’s Charlton team.
“He doesn’t panic. He makes me panic at times because he dribbles past people and I’m thinking ‘don’t do that!’ but he does it and that’s the confidence of the lad,” said Bowyer.
Arsenal were keen on extending his contract but a lack of first-team opportunities saw Bielik heading to the exit.
There was talk of AC Milan being interested and eyebrows were raised when Derby agreed a reported fee for the player of around £8m that could reach £10m.
Bielik signed a five-year deal but his first season did not go to plan. At the start of this year he suffered cruciate ligament damage playing in an under-23 game against Tottenham Hotspur and was sidelined for 10 months.
It was a huge blow for him. He desperately wanted to make an impact as a Derby player and tears flowed when the full extent of the injury hit home but the words of the club doctor stuck with him.
“Doc Amit and all of the physios were sorry for me but they knew I would come back stronger,” said Bielik.
“That was the first sentence from
Amit. Even before I had the MRI scan, he said: ‘Krys, the scenario might be bad but whatever it might show, I am telling you right now that we have big experience with this kind of injury. You will be a better person and better player when it finishes.”
Bielik is back in the team. It is still early days following his lengthy layoff but the signs are good. He is 22 and there is plenty of time for further development.
His return came when he started and completed the 90 minutes in the defeat by Barnsley last month. He was then left out of the squad for the games against Bristol City and Middlesbrough and was an unused substitute in the Wycombe Wanderers match.
Rooney explained the decision to the player and to the media.
“I didn’t feel he was quite ready to play. It is never easy when you are telling a player that but the one thing I told him was if he keeps working hard, then when I feel he is ready he will come in because I feel he has a lot of quality. He did that,” said Rooney.
Bielik has started the last five matches and helped Derby collect nine points from wins over Swansea and Millwall, and draws with Coventry City, Brentford and Stoke City.
Those games have seen Bielik as the controller in the holding role in midfield. He arrived at the club as a utility player but the key to further development for a player is settling into a position and mastering the position.
He possesses the attributes for the role. He is composed and confident in possession, strong and mobile. He has belief in his ability to drive forward with the ball and break the lines when the opportunity arises, which in turn opens up the game.
The past may just shape the future for Bielik as a Derby player.
“It was tough. I was gutted it (the injury) happened but we cannot do anything with the past and we need to look forward,” he said.