Eiran Cashin & Patrick Agyemang react to emotional Derby County player exit message | OneFootball

Eiran Cashin and Patrick Agyemang were among those connected to Derby County to react to Callum Elder's message following his exit from the club.

Derby County enjoyed a positive season under John Eustace, even if there was disappointment that they failed to make the play-offs on the final day.

Despite that, they are a club heading in the right direction under Eustace, who will also point to the backing he has received from the owner.

Now, the challenge is to ensure Derby can push for the play-offs again next season, and, with the new format extending to the top eight, there will be a belief among the Rams that they can achieve something special in 12 months time.

But, before the new season starts in August, Eustace and the recruitment team will freshen up the squad, and work has already begun on that front, as Callum Elder is one of four players who will leave Derby when his contract expires this summer.

Derby County players past and present react to emotional Callum Elder message

The Australian international has spent the past three years at Pride Park, and he made some big contributions for the club, which included helping the team win promotion from League One in the 2023/24 season.

In total, he made over 80 appearances for the East Midlands outfit, so the 31-year-old was understandably emotional as he reflected on his time with the club with a message on Instagram.

“It has been a privilege and honour to represent this football club for the last 3 years. To achieve another promotion and help the club progress over the last 12 months has been a special part of my career.

“Pride Park is an incredible place to play football, and I’m truly grateful I got the opportunity to experience that. Thank you for your amazing support and I wish you all nothing but success in the future.”

As you would expect, that prompted plenty of responses from those connected to Derby, with players past and present reacting to Elder’s message.

That included star man, Patrick Agyemang, who said; ‘What a top guy, gonna miss you family’.

Another message was from former Derby defender Eiran Cashin, who was part of the side that won promotion, and he was keen to wish Elder well. “What a man! All the best mate.”

Sammie Szmodics, Martyn Waghorn, Bradley Johnson and David Ozoh were just some of the others to react to Elder’s news, which shows how popular the defender was in the dressing room.

Derby County are set for a crucial summer window

You would imagine this was a difficult decision for Derby, as Elder has played very well for the club over the years, and he has just come off the back of a campaign where he featured 28 times.

But, even though Elder has generally been consistent, the reality is that he has suffered back luck with injuries, and that was evident once again this season, with his last appearance coming back in February.

So, on that front, it does make sense from Derby’s perspective, even if it may have seemed a harsh decision in the eyes of some, who will feel that Elder could still have had a role to play moving forward, even if he was a squad player.

Ultimately, though, Eustace has some tough decisions to make, and it’s now about backing him as much as possible in the window to help him build on the progress that has been made.