Clough Wants Brayford At Derby

With Crewe's return to League Two set to be confirmed tomorrow, player of the season John Brayford was always likely to linked with a move away from the club.

Reports throughout the season suggesting current Derby manager Nigel Clough had been following Brayford's progress have been confirmed as he has admitted he is on a list of players he would like to sign in a summer overhaul at Pride Park. Clough was manager at Burton Albion when Brayford was sold to Crewe.

Speaking to the Derby Evening Telegraph, Clough said: 'We know John, we know his capabilities.

'He is on a long list of players. It is who we can get - we will start at the top and work our way down from there but he is certainly somebody we admire.

'He has done very well at Crewe, getting accustomed to the level.

'John played well in the youth team at Burton. Then he got in the first team, settled in and played well there, and maintained the same level at League One.

'Can he do it again in the league above?

'For anybody from the lower level, that`s the key.'

Some managers pride themselves on not been drawn into talking in the press about players under contract at other clubs, Clough clearly has no such morals.

Also his timing couldn't have been worse with Crewe's crunch match against Leicester in the last game of the season tomorrow. All the players need to be 100% focussed and pray for other results to go their way in the faint hope we can avoid relegation. Derby with nothing to play for have no such issues.

With Burton having a 20% sell on fee it is unlikely Crewe would let him leave on the cheap as he is one of the club's best young prospects at the moment.

Let's hope thoughts of a move away don't cross Brayford's mind tomorrow and he can contribute to bringing home 3 points for the Alex, for the fans if nothing else.

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