John Eustace will lead Derby County in a crucial Championship match against his former employers Birmingham City on Saturday
Derby County manager John Eustace
John Eustace holds no resentment towards Birmingham City two-and-a-half years on from his ruthless sacking and believes their future is bright under Knighthead.
Blues’ American owners dumped Eustace in order to appoint Wayne Rooney a few months after they took control at St Andrew’s in 2023. The team were sixth in the Championship at the time of Eustace’s departure and ended up suffering relegation.
Eustace bounced back with Blackburn Rovers before jumping ship to Derby County last year and the Rams are right in the thick of the shake-up for the play-offs.
Eighth-placed Derby, who are currently three points outside the top-six, host 10th-placed Blues at Pride Park on Saturday in what is a big game for both teams.
Eustace said: “Birmingham are one of the top teams in the league, they’re coached very well and have a fantastic squad of players.
“They’ve invested very heavily over the last couple of seasons. We know it’s going to be a really difficult game”
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Eustace has managed against Blues twice since his departure and he is yet to record a victory.
Blues defeated his Blackburn side 1-0 in February 2024 and Derby held Blues to a 1-1 draw at St Andrew’s on Boxing Day.
The 46-year-old was asked whether there is any animosity between himself and his former club at his pre-match press conference on Thursday.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “I loved my time at the football club. It’s a brilliant football club to work for and I’m sure they’ll have huge success in the future.”
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