'Eustace has potential to be one of Derby's best'

Sinners star and Derby County fan Jack O'Connell has said that the Rams are "very fortunate" to have boss John Eustace at the helm.

Eustace had already made an impression on the Hollywood actor as a player in a Derby shirt and he has now been "impressed" with what the 46-year-old has had to offer from the manager's seat.

"I love him. I think he's got the potential to be one of our top managers... ever," O'Connell told BBC Radio Derby during their Sportscene call-in.

"I loved him in a Derby shirt and I think now is the time to back him because it does feed onto the field.

"I think in a couple of transfer windows' time, he'll make a difference and he will be able to implement his philosophy properly onto the club and that's when we will know."

As for how the Rams have performed so far this season, while he feels "it could be better", O'Connell called for some perspective as they continue to recover from their financial turmoil of the past.

"I'm gasping for a bit of mid-table mediocrity this year and to just have it all wrapped up in a month or two," O'Connell added. "If you zoom out a little bit, you have to have a bit of perspective. I couldn't be happier.

"It takes a while to really properly turn the club around when you consider where we were. The fact that we are being run correctly from the people upstairs is massive, the fact that we've been in a position where we can acquire the likes of Carlton Morris and [Lewis] Travis - they are top players.

"As frustrating as it is at times, it's been a whole lot worse."