Legzdins Excited By Opportunity

Derby County have completed the signing of their second goalkeeper of the summer with the capture of Adam Legzdins from Burton Albion on a three year contract. Having brought in Frank Fielding as first choice at that start of the summer The Rams have now agreed a deal to bring in Legzdins to further bolster the goalkeeping department in a move that casts even more doubt on the future of Stephen Bywater at the club. A deal for the 24 year-old keeper has been widely reported as being in the pipeline over the last few days and this has now been agreed with Legzdins joining up with his new teammates for the first day of pre-season training yesterday. Nigel Clough spoke to the Derby Evening Telegraph about having monitored Legzdins whilst at Burton and how he thinks now was the ideal time to bring him in as a backup saying:

'Adam had a cracking season at Burton and we've watched him for the past couple of years, when he was at Crewe. He's really matured as a goalie, he's a great build and I think it will really help him coming in and working with Frank Fielding and Martin Taylor. Initially, he will start as number two but we brought him in to push Frank.'

Legzdins himself spoke of the difficult choice he had to make when leaving Burton after a fine 2010/11 season when he was voted their player of the year having kept eleven clean sheets in forty-six league appearances. In the end he decided it was too big a chance to turn down but added he was not just at Derby for the ride and whilst he knows he will initially be backup for Fielding his aim is to push the England Under-21 keeper all the way for the starting spot and sees the challenge as an ideal way to improve his game telling the Derby Evening Telegraph:

'I'm excited about the opportunity I've been given and I'm looking forward to getting stuck in, I'm not just here for the ride. I want to be playing. I proved that last year - I played 51 games and I think I am a number one. So, to compete with Frank, who is obviously a good goalkeeper, I've just got to enjoy the challenge, really. I'm hoping to improve as a player and, hopefully, be challenging for a position in the team. I've come here to play football, not just to train. I don't want to be someone who doesn't play games and I've got to put myself in the best position to be playing."

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