How Tyrhys Dolan feels about playing with Lewis Travis at Derby County | OneFootball

The 24-year-old winger was one of John Eustace's favourites at Blackburn Rovers

Ex-Blackburn Rovers favourite Tyrhys Dolan has four goals and one assist in La Liga for RCD Espanyol so far this season.

The 24-year-old, who is capable of playing on both attacking flanks, signed a three-year deal with the Barcelona-based club after his Rovers contract expired at the end of last season.

However, prior to that transfer happening, Dolan was also strongly linked with a move to Derby County, as per journalist Alan Nixon, along with multiple other Championship clubs.

He has now responded to a Rams fan on Instagram who proposed the idea of him playing under Lewis Travis again next season.

How Tyrhys Dolan feels about playing with Lewis Travis at Derby County

The exchange came under Travis’ end-of-season Instagram post, in which the Derby captain wrote, "Not the fairytale ending we all wanted. But credit to all lads, staff and fans for a positive year and a massive step in the right direction! Personality (Personally) a tough year with injury’s but feeling so grateful for my first year as a ram. Time to rest up and get that promo next season ! @dcfcofficial 🤍 🐏".

Dolan responded with, "Big season for the squad bro, go again next year skip🫡❤️," before one Rams fan cheekily asked him, "fancy him being your captain again next season ty? 🐏".

The forward then answered in a joking manner to that question with, “he answers to me bro, he’s a good skipper and that but I tell him what to do bro, that’s where we will clash".

On the face of it, the response was clearly tongue-in-cheek, but it still matters because Travis and Dolan were both part of the Blackburn Rovers set-up under John Eustace.

It's also worth considering that when Eustace first made the switch to Derby in February 2025, Dolan's social media message to his former manager was perhaps the most emotional of the lot.

Again, posted on Instagram, it read, "Tough one to accept. The closest people to me especially know just how much of an impact you had on me, you believed in me when only a handful of people did, you allowed me to be myself and was one of the main reasons I found the love for football again. Faced some of my toughest moments off the pitch last year and your door was always open.

"You brought the togetherness and made everyone feel just as important as the other. From the players to the staff & the fans, which we will keep applying for the rest of the season.Wish it could have been a better goodbye, one that you truly deserved. Hurts to see some of the comments made because it doesn’t portray you at all and what you fought for.

John Eustace may have to wait for a Tyrhys Dolan reunion at Derby County

For what it's worth, Dolan seems to be loving life in Spain's top-flight as well. In an interview with Sky Sports in April, the winger said, "Once the nerves settled, I realised I deserved to be here. I had players telling me, 'How did you not get a Premier League move?!' It was crazy to hear that from LaLiga players."

With two more years on his current deal, it would seem from those words that only a Premier League move would tempt Dolan to leave Espanyol at this stage.

According to Capology estimates, Dolan is earning approximately €35k per week at Espanyol, which works out at just over £30k in GBP. None of Derby's players were estimated to be earning that amount this season.

Blackburn connections.