SAVAGE TO ADD BITE TO EMBATTLED DERBY
Battling Welsh midfielder Robbie Savage has moved from Blackburn Rovers to Derby County for £1.5m after turning down a move to Sunderland. The 33-year-old has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract and will be one of a number of new faces at Pride Park as new manager Paul Jewell attempts to dig his team out of the mire.
After being promoted under Billy Davis, Derby currently sit at the foot of the Premier League, having collected only seven points from their first 21 games - eight points adrift of Fulham.
And Savage, who had played only seven times for Rovers since September due to injury and through being overlooked, is happy to help the cause. Especially as he has been promised first-team football.
Savage said: "The transfer went through quite quickly. I wanted to play first team football and the gaffer, Mark Hughes, couldn't give me that on a regular basis. He was fantastic for me. He said: 'I'll give you permission to leave and speak to other people.'
"As soon as I knew Paul was interested I was only going to come to Derby. I was tempted to go to Sunderland and play in front of 45,000. But I felt that Derby wanted me more.
"When Paul was at Wigan he tried to get me, and he was the key factor in me moving here.
"I have taken a little bit of a pay cut to be here but I would rather be playing week-in, week-out.
"It will be very difficult for us to stay up. And if we don't stay up we have to plan for next season and get back into the Premier League."
Jewell was pleased to have signed the man who eluded his grasp while at the JJB Stadium. He gushed: "I tried to sign Robbie twice when I was at Wigan, but for a variety of reasons that never happened.
"It is a great signing for us - he is a player that we need. He is great at battling and being competitive. He is a really good footballer too and his energy and enthusiasm is infectious. I am very pleased to have him here.
"He wouldn't have come here if he didn't think that if we do go down then we would be prepared to come straight back up; and come back up stronger.
"I have come here as part of a long-term plan and it's the same with Robbie. We might have to take a step backwards - being realistic the odds of staying up are against us - but we plan to come back even stronger than we are now."
Savage is Jewell's fourth signing - he has already secured the services of Danny Mills, Argentinean striker Emanuel Villa, and free-signing Laurent Robert. Tottenham's Hossam Ghaly was also seen being shown around the club, and is due to be announced as a loan signing, according to reports.
"With Mills, Robert and Villa, we are starting to look like a stronger team.
"By the end of the season we are hoping to have one or two more players. I know the squad needs strengthening. The squad needs competition and the lads we are bringing in are top class players.
"I am really looking forward to the next couple of weeks."
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll has also been linked with the club." If we can't get that over the line today, we will certainly will tomorrow."
Battling Welsh midfielder Robbie Savage has moved from Blackburn Rovers to Derby County for £1.5m after turning down a move to Sunderland. The 33-year-old has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract and will be one of a number of new faces at Pride Park as new manager Paul Jewell attempts to dig his team out of the mire.
After being promoted under Billy Davis, Derby currently sit at the foot of the Premier League, having collected only seven points from their first 21 games - eight points adrift of Fulham.
And Savage, who had played only seven times for Rovers since September due to injury and through being overlooked, is happy to help the cause. Especially as he has been promised first-team football.
Savage said: "The transfer went through quite quickly. I wanted to play first team football and the gaffer, Mark Hughes, couldn't give me that on a regular basis. He was fantastic for me. He said: 'I'll give you permission to leave and speak to other people.'
"As soon as I knew Paul was interested I was only going to come to Derby. I was tempted to go to Sunderland and play in front of 45,000. But I felt that Derby wanted me more.
"When Paul was at Wigan he tried to get me, and he was the key factor in me moving here.
"I have taken a little bit of a pay cut to be here but I would rather be playing week-in, week-out.
"It will be very difficult for us to stay up. And if we don't stay up we have to plan for next season and get back into the Premier League."
Jewell was pleased to have signed the man who eluded his grasp while at the JJB Stadium. He gushed: "I tried to sign Robbie twice when I was at Wigan, but for a variety of reasons that never happened.
"It is a great signing for us - he is a player that we need. He is great at battling and being competitive. He is a really good footballer too and his energy and enthusiasm is infectious. I am very pleased to have him here.
"He wouldn't have come here if he didn't think that if we do go down then we would be prepared to come straight back up; and come back up stronger.
"I have come here as part of a long-term plan and it's the same with Robbie. We might have to take a step backwards - being realistic the odds of staying up are against us - but we plan to come back even stronger than we are now."
Savage is Jewell's fourth signing - he has already secured the services of Danny Mills, Argentinean striker Emanuel Villa, and free-signing Laurent Robert. Tottenham's Hossam Ghaly was also seen being shown around the club, and is due to be announced as a loan signing, according to reports.
"With Mills, Robert and Villa, we are starting to look like a stronger team.
"By the end of the season we are hoping to have one or two more players. I know the squad needs strengthening. The squad needs competition and the lads we are bringing in are top class players.
"I am really looking forward to the next couple of weeks."
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll has also been linked with the club." If we can't get that over the line today, we will certainly will tomorrow."
