Derby County defender Ryan Nyambe says he had a “heart-breaking” summer trying to find a fresh start as a free agent
again.

The 25-year-old Namibia international was released by Wigan after their Championship relegation last season, having been with them for only a year after being released by Blackburn.

He has joined the Rams on a deal that runs until January. “It was tough to be in that situation twice,” he told BBC Radio Derby.

“It was very tough personally. It was disappointing and heart-breaking a little bit. You see former team-mates playing and on TV training. It gets to you. You wake up in the morning, thinking to yourself ‘I’m going to go for a run’, then think I should be somewhere training and playing football. It’s just tough to get yourself going mentally. You have to try to be professional and persevere.”

Nyambe says he first met with Derby boss Paul Warne earlier in the summer and was told any deal with the League One club “would take some time”.

The need for cover after Jake Rooney was ruled out for a “significant period” but a knee injury eventually prompted the Rams to bring the defender to Pride Park.

While he had to wait for the move, he was rushed into the starting side, making his debut as they beat Carlisle last week.

“I’m a person that tries to be strong,” Nyambe said. You just have to be patient, it’s something you can’t rush. Sometimes I think things happen for a reason, and I hope that reason is to try to get Derby promoted and back into the Championship, where we both belong,” he said. 

– BBC.com