John Eustace is seeing his Derby County wish come true ahead of 2025/26 season opener vs Stoke City

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At 3pm on Saturday afternoon, Derby County will have kicked off their 2025/26 Championship campaign.

The Rams avoided relegation to League One in May, drawing 0-0 against Stoke City at Pride Park. Now, they will face the Potters once again, but this time at the bet365 Stadium in Staffordshire.

Bobby Clark has signed for the East Midlands outfit after a medical, leaving RB Salzburg on loan for the season, as John Eustace adds further depth to his midfield after what has been a very busy summer so far.

Derby appear to have made all the preparations they needed as they look for a mid-table finish in the Championship, and this will delight Eustace three months after last season ended.

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John Eustace was keen for changes at Derby County in the summer

The turnaround after Paul Warne was sacked by the Rams was clear to see, and under the guidance of the ex-Blackburn Rovers boss, the team avoided the drop.

However, Derby only narrowly escaped League One – having been seven points adrift by the time March came around. Therefore, Eustace had to make changes this summer, and he made one wish following that point against Stoke.

He said (via: BBC Sport): “If you look at the effort we put in the last 11 games, we are third or fourth in the form table. It’s just important that you get a group of players that are willing to work hard and who are coachable and willing to do their jobs.

“Coming here with 14 games to go, the players have done that. And now we have to look at players to come in next season to help this group. And then we will see how we start.”

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The Rams look strong as they prepare for Stoke City test

With 10 signings already through the door, there is no denying that Eustace has had his wish granted.

Injuries will of course be a concern, but those who are out of action at this moment are recovering from previous issues. This will boost Eustace in the coming weeks and months as these players work their way into contention for a place in the starting XI.

Stoke have also made some good signings, but they are probably still lacking some depth in key areas and Mark Robins will be keen to fix that.

Nevertheless, this is a promising season for Derby and their supporters, with excitement beginning to build quickly.