How Bobby Clark reacted to Derby County's win v Swansea - Rams fans are saying a similar thing involving Celtic | OneFootball

The Rams returned to winning ways with an impressive 2-1 win over the Swans on Tuesday

Derby County returned to winning ways with an impressive 2-1 victory over Swansea City on Tuesday, with midfielder Bobby Clark showing his continued importance to John Eustace’s side yet again.

The Rams’ win over Vitor Matos’ new side was their sixth in seven games, a run that now has the East Midlands outfit seventh in the Championship - just one point from the play-offs.

Former Liverpool starlet Clark is, of course, on-loan at Derby from RB Salzburg for the season, and has been instrumental to the squad since he was given a chance in centre midfield against Queens Park Rangers back in October.

Before Clark played in a deeper position for Derby, The Times reported that Celtic are set to sign the 20-year-old in January for £6m - and many Derby fans at the time didn't seem too fussed.

But after Tuesday's game, it's clear that keeping him at Pride Park is now viewed as essential.

How Bobby Clark reacted to Derby County's win over Swansea City

Clark posted on X following Derby's deserved victory: "Back to winning ways 🐏 top away support ❤️".

The midfielder's brief but telling message summed up the feelings surrounding Derby's performance at the Liberty Stadium - where Joe Ward and Lars-Jorgen Salvesen's goals secured the points in Matos’ first game as Swans boss.

While the Rams had suffered disappointment the previous weekend, losing 3-2 at home to Watford despite leading 2-0, the response against the Welsh side mirrored that of when Derby earned their first home win of the season after losing against Oxford United.

Throughout the game, Clark was his usual energetic self in the middle of the park and never stopped running.

Stats wise, as per FotMob, he made seven recoveries - which mean winning the ball back from an opponent - and wasn't dribbled past once. Clark also made 19 accurate passes, with two of those being into the final third.

Referring back to the social media post, it also shows how comfortable Clark now is as a Derby player.

The game in South Wales was his sixth consecutive start in a central role, and even after the disruption of David Ozoh's injury - who was his midfield partner for the first four - Clark continued to thrive.

Eustace initially played Clark on the left flank or in a more attacking role, and it's fair to say for a player trying to get up to speed with the second tier, it didn't really work. But he's made that central position his own now, and all Derby fans are saying the same sort of things.

How Derby County fans reacted to Bobby Clark's performance against Swansea City

Derby fans were equally enthusiastic in their responses to Clark's performance and the win itself, with several supporters using the opportunity to urge the club to secure his future.

One fan pleaded for Clark to, "Please stay the season and sign in the summer ", reflecting the general agreement among many Rams supporters that his presence in the middle is vital to the squad.

Another replied to Clark's post by saying, "Celtic ain't all that" - a comment that humurously referenced the speculation that the Scottish champions are in for him.

It's worth noting that at the time of the Celtic links, Brendan Rodgers was their manager, but seeing as though he's not there anymore, it still remains to be seen what is going to happen regarding Clark.

Another comment acknowledged the earlier backlash Clark faced as a Derby player, and how it's taken time for the ex-Liverpool prospect to get up to Championship speed.

Perhaps the most glowing reaction was one from a fan who said Clark has "genuinely transformed our entire side," and it's hard to argue with that currently.