Preview | U21s aim for seven wins in a row at Derby

Derby County U21s v West Ham United U21s
Premier League 2, Proctor Cars Stadium, Friday 28 February 2025, 7pm GMT 

West Ham United U21s travel to the Proctor Cars Stadium on Friday evening to face Derby County, aiming for their seventh straight win in Premier League 2 since the turn of the year.

Mark Robson’s U21s sit comfortably within the play-off places, just seven points off leaders Manchester City with a game in hand.

Derby on the other hand, with just four regular season games left, sit three points adrift of Newcastle United who occupy the final play-off spot, having played a game more.

Tickets...

Derby County U21s play their home games at the Proctor Cars Stadium, home of Northern Premier League Premier Division side Matlock Town.

Tickets for Friday evening’s game can be purchased on Matlock Town’s website, priced as follows:

How To Follow...

The game will be blogged live, while a live stream of the fixture will be available across the Club’s website and YouTube channel. A match report, highlights and reaction will also follow the full-time whistle.

Premier League 2 Explained…

To minimise the impact of relegation on future groups of U21 players, the Premier League introduced a new format to its development phase competition in 2023/24.

Replacing the two-division system, the 26 Category One academies now compete in a single tier with 20 regular season fixtures before the top 16 seeded teams advance to single-elimination play-offs.

Regular season fixtures are determined by a draw made according to clubs’ performances over the last three seasons. Each team plays 20 different opponents before the play-offs in May, where they will be drawn against each other based on league positions, with the higher seeded team playing at home. The top 12 are also rewarded with a place in the following season’s Premier League International Cup competition.

Opposition...  

Having finished bottom of the table last season, Derby County U21s are enjoying a much improved campaign. Still in the hunt for a play-off spot, and already surpassing last year’s points tally, a four-game unbeaten run at the turn of the year lifted them from 23rd to 15th.

However, following back-to-back defeats in their two games since, and with 13 of their 17 points coming at home, Friday’s game against the Hammers is as close to a must-win game as it gets.

Ones To Watch...

With 19 goal contributions in 21 U18 Premier League South games in his second year as a scholar, Dan Rigge has had to be patient for opportunities with the U21s in his first year as a pro.

Last time out, in the 3-0 win against Reading, his second consecutive start for the development side, he played a huge part in both of the young Hammers’ first two goals. His high press and strong tackle allowed Josh Ajala to open the scoring. Then, 15 minutes later, his excellent close control launched the attack which ended with Sean Moore doubling West Ham’s lead.

After a brief stint on loan at Boston United in the National League, Derby striker Lennon Wheeldon returned to the Midlands to continue his development.

With four goals and an assist in nine Premier League 2 starts, Wheeldon has been Derby U21s’ most productive player, putting in performances which have seen him make his debut for England U19s, where he scored in a 4-2 win against France, teaming up with West Ham’s Lewis Orford.

This season has also seen him feature on the bench in the EFL Championship for Derby’s senior squad. Wheeldon was on the scoresheet the last time the two sides met, in a 3-2 win for the hosts at Rush Green Stadium in April 2024.

How Things Stand In Premier League 2...

With five regular season games left, a win would all but guarantee West Ham United U21s a spot in the post-season as one of the first 16 teams. Aiming for a top seeding, the young Hammers are four points clear of Chelsea in fourth having played a game fewer.