Why Jake Buxton is leaving Derby County - It's left many Rams fans reacting | OneFootball

The former Rams defender was a coach among Derby's first-team, but he's exiting Pride Park for a new opportunity

Derby County coach Jake Buxton - once a cult hero defender for the Championship club - has decided to take up a new opportunity at a club four divisions below, in a move that has puzzled some supporters.

The 40-year-old spent seven years as a player with the Rams between 2009 and 2016, having stepped up three tiers from the Conference Premier with nearby Burton Albion to join the then-Championship County under Nigel Clough, and despite an injury-hit start to his time at Pride Park, he went on to become a fan favourite.

After departing Derby in 2016, Buxton went on to play for Wigan Athletic and Burton once more before becoming player-manager of the Brewers in 2020, which is a job that he would last only seven months in, but he would soon return to Derby in a youth coaching capacity, working his way up through the under-18's and under-21's to become the Senior Transition Coach this past summer for young players making the jump into the first-team squad.

Jake Buxton departs Derby County for Alfreton Town manager role

That role though has only lasted a few months for Buxton, who has now jumped to take a new opportunity within football - although it is much further down the footballing pyramid.

Derby confirmed on Friday afternoon that Buxton was departing to become the new first-team manager of Alfreton Town, who are based around 15 miles north of County and ply their trade at National League North level - where they've played at since the 2015-16 season.

Buxton actually played briefly for the Reds earlier on in his on-pitch career whilst a youngster at Mansfield Town, playing five times in the Northern Premier League Premier Division before returning to Field Mill, and he's now going back as the individual in charge in the dugout, where he succeeds Billy Heath following his exit in early September after over seven years in the job.

The Alfreton job is much lower than when he was in charge of Burton for seven months though, who were a League One side at the time of his appointment, although he won just two of his 27 matches in charge and was sacked in December 2020.

Derby County fans react to Jake Buxton departure

Whilst Buxton will remain at the Moor Farm training ground in his role on a part-time basis for the time being whilst a successor to his job is sourced, Derby fans have been reacting to his exit, with one believing it will be a fantastic move for the former defender.

Another supporter believes that should Buxton show promise in his job at North Street, then he could become a future Derby manager.

Meanwhile, this fan believes that given the other movements of backroom staff recently - which includes Mark Thomas departing as head of talent identification - something significant could be going on behind closed doors, with Buxton's exit also potentially a sign of that.

It has also been claimed by another Derby fan that it's a move that makes sense for Buxton, given the fact it gives him another chance to cut his teeth in management after the first time round at Burton did not work out.

Buxton will be taking over an Alfreton side that currently sit 21st out of 24 teams in the National League North, having won just two of their first 10 games in England's sixth tier.

They were also dumped out of the FA Cup at the second qualifying round stage unceremoniously with a 3-0 loss away at Lincolnshire-based Spalding United - a seventh-tier side - so things haven't been going well for Town, and Buxton needs to arrest the slide as soon as possible, with an early relegation six-pointer against Peterborough Sports his first assignment.