PLANGE: ROONEY SLAMS EFL RULES

Derby County manager Wayne Rooney has slammed the EFL rules stopping Luke Plange from stepping up from the under-23 team to the first team squad at the club. Ex-Arsenal man Plange has been amongst the goals for the Derby County under-23 team this season, but he has not been given the opportunity to show his quality for the first team.

Wayne Rooney called for a change in the situation to allow Plange represent the Derby County first team in his latest press conference ahead of the QPR game in the league. The Derby County manager made a case for 19-year-old Plange after he scored a brace to lead the Derby County under-23 team to an impressive 5-3 win over the Arsenal under-23 team away from home in a Premier League 2 Division One encounter. Arsenal are the Premier League 2 Division One leaders and they were on the wrong end of an eight-goal thriller when the Rams visited Boreham Wood on Friday night.

Plange was previously in the under-18 setup at Arsenal before he was released. The striker had a trial at Derby County in the summer and he impressed thereby winning a one-year professional deal. The Rams had a transfer embargo when Plange signed for the under-23 team thus making him ineligible to represent the first team. Plange has been in red-hot form for the Derby County under-23 team and his brace against the Gunners took his tally to eight goals for the under-23 team this season.

Wayne Rooney has shown that he’s ready to reward the young players with playing opportunities in the first team if they impress. According to him via his latest press conference, Rooney stated that it’s great to see young players break into the first team and the starting XI as he praised Liam Thompson who has taken his chance as a young player in the last two games as far as the English Championship is concerned.