New Derby County player agreement confirmed - it raises Jacob Widell Zetterstrom questions | OneFootball

Josh Vickers has signed a new deal at Pride Park, and questions will be asked about what this means for Jacob Widell Zetterstrom's future.

Derby County have announced that goalkeeper Josh Vickers has put pen-to-paper on a new deal at Pride Park, extending his stay until 2029.

The Rams signed the 30-year-old in the summer of 2023, and he played a crucial role in backing up Joe Wildsmith between the posts in DE24 during his side's League One promotion campaign.

He made seven appearances in the third tier, as the East Midlands outfit finished second behind Portsmouth, with the former Rotherham United shot-stopper keeping two clean sheets.

Last season, Vickers started the campaign off, as Derby were forced to wait for Jacob Widell Zetterstrom's £1.4m move from Djurgardens to be confirmed. An injury to the Sweden international also meant that the Rams' second-choice goalkeeper was given the gloves as the club staved off relegation, and now he has signed a new deal.

Josh Vickers pledges future to Derby County with new contract

Vickers signed a three-year deal when he joined the Championship side while Paul Warne was manager of the club, and there is no debating how much of a credit he has been to the club during his time with them.

While it looked as though he may have edged towards an exit this summer, with his contract set to expire, he has agreed to stay with Derby until the summer of 2029, and he will be looking to support the goalkeeping department as the Rams pursue promotion to the Premier League in the coming years.

Vickers has been exceptional in that second-choice role, and when called upon, Eustace has a very dependable goalkeeper in his ranks.

He was awarded the club's 'Save of the Season' award in 2024/25, with his excellent stop against West Bromwich Albion's Tom Fellows in a 3-1 win at The Hawthorns proving decisive as Derby avoided relegation to League One.

Questions may be asked about Jacob Widell Zetterstrom's future in the summer

Vickers has had to watch on from the bench throughout this season, with Zetterstrom's performances making him almost undroppable throughout the campaign.

This has led to interest from first Brentford, as per Alan Nixon, and later bitter rivals Nottingham Forest, with Sky Sports reporting earlier this season that the Premier League side were monitoring the 27-year-old.

However, since then, Derby have placed a £15m price tag on their number one, and have told other clubs that he is not for sale this month. But, with Vickers now secured for the long-term, perhaps the Rams are preparing for life without Zetterstrom.

This summer will see an influx of interest in the Swedish shot-stopper, but with security on their number two, it is the Championship side who hold all the cards.