What Ben Brereton Diaz has said to Derby County fans as Southampton return looms | OneFootball

Ben Brereton Diaz has sent a message to Derby fans via X after his loan spell with the club has come to an end

Derby County suffered heartache on the final day of the Championship season, with a 2-1 home defeat to Sheffield United, resigning them to another year in the second tier, having narrowly missed out on a place in the play-offs.

All things considered, it has been an excellent season for the Rams, who, despite falling just short of a top-six finish on the final day, will have more positives coming out of this campaign than negatives.

Just one year ago, they barely earned Championship survival, with a goalless draw at home to Stoke City confirming their place in the division for another season, and they haven't taken that for granted.

A big summer overhaul led by John Eustace has transformed their fortunes, and if it weren't for a slow start to the season, the Rams almost certainly would have found themselves in the play-offs.

Eustace will be hoping to continue this trajectory heading into the next campaign, but first will have to contend with the summer transfer window, with five loan players set to return to their parent clubs, including Chilean international Ben Brereton Diaz, who has sent a message to Derby supporters via Instagram upon the expiry of his deal at Pride Park.

Ben Brereton Diaz sends a message to Derby County supporters as Rams loan stint ends

Brereton Diaz was one of several players to join Derby on loan this season, including Bobby Clark, Jayden Banel, Sammie Szmodics, and David Ozoh.

The 27-year-old was allowed to leave the Saints for their division rivals at the beginning of the campaign after it was made clear that he would play no part in Will Still's plans following their relegation from the Premier League.

Brereton Diaz has enjoyed a solid spell at Pride Park, albeit he has failed to hit the heights he once displayed with Blackburn Rovers just a few years ago, with seven goals and three assists in 40 league games for Derby, with eight yellow cards.

Now, with his loan spell coming to an end, he sent a message to Rams supporters via Instagram, saying: Loved my time @dcfcofficial what a great club 💪.

The Chilean has expressed that he has loved his time as a Ram, and thanked the fans and staff for their support throughout the season, with a special nod to his chant.

Eustace has remained a big fan of Brereton Diaz despite not quite hitting the heights he may have hoped for, and the Chilean has previously expressed his delight at joining the club, saying: "When I knew that I could go out on loan, and Derby was a choice, it was a no-brainer.

"They’re a great club and, in the past, I played against them and the supporters and everything like that, so I thought it was a great fit for myself, and obviously, speaking to the gaffer, it was really good."

However, his time with Derby may well not be over just yet, with Eustace having also previously expressed his desire to bring back some of his loan stars from this campaign on a permanent basis, almost certainly including Brereton Diaz in that category.

For now, he returns to the South Coast, but with his Southampton future up in the air, it wouldn't be a surprise if Derby fans haven't seen the last of him in their colours.

John Eustace will be hoping to strike the return of some of Derby's loan stars this summer, including Ben Brereton Diaz

With each of Brereton Diaz, Clark, Banel, Ozoh, and Szmodics set to see their loan deals expire at the end of the month, it would be little surprise to see Eustace make a move to bring back a few of those on a permanent basis.

The Chilean joined Southampton in the summer of 2024 for around £7 million from Spanish side Villarreal, but has played less than 500 league minutes for the Saints since, spending time out on loan with Sheffield United and now Derby.

Whether he will have any sort of part to play for Southampton next year remains to be seen, with the Saints' immediate future also up in the air, with the club potentially on their way back to the Premier League if they are victorious in the play-offs.

Eustace will aim to keep the core of his squad together, and it would be little surprise to see Brereton Diaz make the permanent move to Pride Park in the next few months.