Steve McClaren hails experienced Derby County man Scott Carson

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McClaren says Carson’s leadership, ball-playing ability and decision-making.

Derby County manager Steve McClaren has told the club’s official website that experienced goalkeeper Scott Carson is a huge asset for the club.

Carson joined the Rams in the summer of 2015 from Wigan Athletic and soon established himself as the number one choice in goal for the East Midlands side.

Though he missed 10 Championship fixtures last term, he has been an ever-present in the league so far this term, as well as making two further appearances in the EFL Cup.

Though still relatively young for a goalkeeper at the age of 31, Carson is a hugely experiences stopper, having amassed 328 appearances in all competitions of English football, as well as spending a season in Turkey with Bursaspor.

McClaren believes that experience and Carson’s leadership qualities are key attributes on and off the field, and also praised the goalkeeper’s ability to make decisions under pressure and his ability to play with the ball at his feet.

The former England and Newcastle boss told Derby’s website: “Scott is a very good goalkeeper. There are one or two defining moments in games that get you the points and that is where the goalkeepers are important. We saw that on Saturday against Sheffield Wednesday, Scott made some really important saves for the team.

“He has great experience, is a good talker and is a leader in the dressing room. He is a big asset for us. The onus is on the goalkeeper in the kind of football we want to play. It’s not so much about taking risks, but knowing when to take one and when not to. It’s also about making the right decisions.

“We want the ball at our goalkeeper’s feet because that’s the start of our attacks. Therefore, his feet have to be good as well as his ability to make decisions.”

Derby have recovered somewhat from their early-season struggles, with an improvement shown first under caretaker boss Chris Powell and now with McClaren at the helm.

Since former manager Nigel Pearson was suspended on 27 September ahead of his dismissal, County have won three and lost just one of their last six Championship games.