Barkhuizen so ready for a new career challenge
NEW Derby County forward Tom Barkhuizen says he did not have to have the club sold to him before becoming the first signing under the Clowes Development ownership.
The former Preston North End man signed a two-year deal after interim manager Liam Rosenior was given the green light to add to his squad ahead of the 2022-23 League One season following the club’s exit from administration.
Barkhuizen is at Pride Park after five-and-a-half years with Preston, scoring 38 goals in 209 appearances.
The Blackpool-born 28-year-old was joined by winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith on Saturday afternoon.
“When Wayne Rooney was still the manager, I met with Liam Rosenior first and spoke to Wayne on the phone but I got a good vibe off Liam straight away,” Barkhuizen told the club’s website.
“He didn’t have to sell the club to me.
“I know it’s a massive club and they had a good idea of how they want to use me and made me feel like I wanted to be here.
“It’s always nice to be appreciated by opposition teams and the 25,000 or 30,000 a week is a big pull too.
“Coming to a Premier League standard training ground sells itself and once the takeover was done, it was straightforward. I’m excited and ready to go.”
Barkhuizen became the first player to officially join the club since Malcolm Ebiowei signed on a free transfer from Rangers last September, putting an end to a troubling time for the Rams faithful, during which they suffered relegation to the third tier of English football.
Along with Saturday’s three signings was confirmation that Eiran Cashin and Liam Thompson were signing new deals with the club.
“Hopefully, it’s the start of good times for a lot of people,” said Barkhuizen.
“The club and fans have been through a hell of a ride for the last 18 months and not knowing whether they were coming or going but, thankfully, everything is over the line for the club and now we can start bringing players in and seeing what we can do in the season ahead.
“It’s going to be a tough season. “We are going to be arguably the biggest team in the league so teams are going to want to beat us home and away.
“We need to be ready for that. We need to be ready for different types of games.
“We have a big season ahead and want to get back promoted to the Championship as soon as possible.”
The forward will participate in League One for the first time in his career after previously playing in the Championship for Preston and League Two with Morecambe.
His move to Derby comes days after his contract officially expired at Deepdale.
He says it was a natural and amicable parting of the ways with his old club.
“I knew last summer that my time was coming to an end,” he said.
“When you spend so long at a club you do get to a crossroads.
“There was a mutual thing at the end with Preston where we both thought it was time to go and no hard feelings either way.
“We left on friendly terms and I’m just excited for a new challenge.
“I kind of got a little bit stale towards the end.
“I spent six years there and I played pretty much every game when I was fit and I was ready for something new.
“When it was the summer, I was seeing the options and seeing what I could get my teeth stuck into and this is the one that stood out.
“We know the pressure that is going to be on us to go straight back up, from ourselves and from the outside. Derby are a massive club and I want to be a big part of that.
“I want to help this club to go straight back up and then see what we can do next year
“The focus is fully on this year, so let’s see what we can do.”