Jeff Hendrick’s start as a Rams player will leave him in the hearts of Derby County fans forever. The young Dubliner scored a 72nd minute winner against bitter rivals Nottingham Forest in September, when the Derby team only had ten men.
Hendrick, who will turn 20 in the New Year, has made 22 senior appearances for Derby, scoring twice. Although he is still relatively inexperienced, he would have gained some experience in the recent under-19 championships during the summer, where the Irish team were knocked out by eventual champions Spain.
The Rams youngster is a busy midfielder, with an eye for a pass and a strength of positioning, which would be invaluable in Giovanni Trapattoni`s` team. His performance and goal in a local derby against Forest with just ten men was testament to his ability to play under pressure, which again against a big side would be a plus.
He began his Derby career as a youth and signed professional terms in the summer of 2010, after making an appearance in the final league game of that season against Cardiff. His performances to date have seen him attract interest from the Premiership in the shape of Aston Villa and West Brom, both who possess current Irish talents, Richard Dunne, Shay Given and Shane Long.
Another positive feature to his game is the way he has turned in impressive performances against other quality central midfielders. In the Forest derby, he came toe-to-toe with former Irish international and Andy Reid, as well as Champions League winner Jonathan Greening. He has also faced off with Kevin Nolan, Papa Bouba Diop and Julio Arca, all proven Premier League players. What’s more is that Hendrick has kept Paul Green, a player TrapaTtoni favoured in his early days, out of the Derby team.
Hendrick has represented Ireland at all levels bar senior, and was shortlisted for under-17 player of the year in 2010. He scored the only goal in a one nil win against Poland under 19s in 2010 to secure qualification for the under 19 championships, where he played in all the games. After that tournament he was called into Noel King’s under-21 team, and has made three appearances to date.
Hendrick is definitely a talent to be reckoned with, maybe not for the EURO 2012 campaign but most definitely for the World Cup Qualifiers, along with Robbie Brady and Barry Maguire, the previous two young stars.