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It’s now been three years since David Clowes rescued Derby County from administration and the club are on an upward trajectory.
The Rams have had some great moments since Clowes arrived, and with John Eustace unveiling four new signings already this summer, excitement is building ahead of the new Championship campaign.
However, Derby are still waiting on investment and their owner has been open to his desire to sell around 80% of his stake in the club.
Nevertheless, there is no denying that the East Midlands outfit are in a strong position after coming so close to complete liquidation, and the man who runs everything has been praised highly by one finance expert.
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Kieran Maguire gives out his opinion on Derby County’s David Clowes
John Eustace performed miracles with the team on the pitch last season as the Rams avoided relegation to League One on the final day of the campaign, but behind the scenes there is a state of tranquillity that was not often seen under the previous ownership.
Kieran Maguire is a huge fan of Clowes, and he has recently given high praise to Derby’s chief. He said: (via: Second Tier Pod): “I’ve got huge admiration for David Clowes. He is a reluctant owner, he is the owner of Derby County because he genuinely loves the club, which you couldn’t necessarily say about his predecessor [Mel Morris].
“He appeared to come from nowhere, claiming to be a Derby County fan and then left and hasn’t been seen much of ever since. Mel Morris is a very, very smart and very, very gifted business entrepreneur. I know what Mel Morris is up to in terms of AI at present and the people I talk to say ‘yeah, he’s got his head screwed on’.
“I think he said recently the biggest mistake he made at Derby was that he was a part time owner in what was required at the time, a full-time role.”
Maguire continued: “David Clowes, I’ve got huge admiration for him. He’s looking for third-party investment, there’s no doubt about that. I think if he could pass on the club as custodian either as minority investment from somebody else or even would he be willing to relinquish control? I think he would.
“Whether there will be ramifications from that in terms of the contract that he had to buy Pride Park, ironically, from Mel Morris we don’t know the details there. I’m aware of some things that he has done on a private basis, my hat is tipped in his direction but I can’t give more than that.
“Other people at Derby County I perhaps don’t hold in such high regard, but David Clowes himself, yes.”
This season is vital for the Rams
After ensuring their survival, the Rams have to start pushing up the Championship next season, with a mid-table finish the goal.
Eustace is making huge changes to his squad and there will surely be more incomings in the coming weeks as Derby prepare themselves for their first pre-season games.
Nevertheless, Clowes has brought stability and growth back to Pride Park and he has been heralded as royalty by supporters – something that seems unlikely to change in the next few months, years and beyond.