Derby County have Will Hughes 2.0 under their nose - John Eustace must be excited | OneFootball

Owen Eames made his Derby County debut on Sunday, he's got all the talent to be a star at Pride Park.

Derby County have a rich history of bringing through new stars, from the likes of Eiran Cashin and Max Bird in more recent times, to Giles Barnes and Tom Huddlestone in the 2000s.

The Rams pride themselves on their academy graduates, with the use of young players during the 2021/22 campaign a particular highlight as then head coach Wayne Rooney was forced to adapt as the club battled against administration.

While the last couple of years has seen fewer stars make their way through the Moor Farm system and into the first team, on Sunday, supporters got their first taste of another new face on the pitch at Pride Park as Owen Eames made his senior debut at the age of 19.

Brought on in the latter stages of his side's 3-1 FA Cup third round defeat to Leeds United, the midfielder made a solid impact as he impressed supporters with his tenacity and energy in the middle of the park. Versatile in his approach, Derby may well just have a new star on their hands.

Derby County may have their newest star in the form of Owen Eames

Eames is the first academy graduate to make his debut for the Rams since Adebayo Fapetu, Tony Weston, Dan Cox, Cruz Allen, Lennon Wheeldon and Adisa Osayande featured in the EFL Trophy against Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 in November 2023.

The teenager came on in place of Bobby Clark in the 73rd minute at Pride Park on Sunday, taking on the role of the attacking midfielder alongside the more defensive David Ozoh and Ebou Adams. While he was not able to mark his debut with a goal or assist, Eames was extremely bright and was able to put the Leeds defence under pressure on multiple occasions.

Born in Swadlincote, just half an hour from Derby's home ground, the 19-year-old will be hoping that he can continue to work his way into Eustace's plans in the coming months after making 53 appearances for the club's U18s side in his career so far, as well as 25 for the U21s.

Rams fans know just how vital it is to have one of their own coming through the ranks, and Eames will be hoping to replicate the impact that Will Hughes had on the club when he made his debut in November 2011, before going on to play 187 times in black-and-white. Now a consistent Premier League player, the midfielder has been one of the brightest sparks to come out of the academy and should be a role model to Derby's newest star.

Owen Eames may have to patient for more minutes at Derby County

While it was a bright start for Eames, Eustace has plenty of midfield players at his disposal right now and he may have to wait his turn before getting a taste of Championship football.

Derby face Preston North End on Saturday, and with Oscar Fraulo likely to get even more minutes on the pitch, and Ozoh now back from injury, there are multiple senior players ready to feature at Deepdale. Nonetheless, former Rams striker Kevin Wilson has explained what the teenager offers in comparison to his teammates.

Speaking to BBC Radio Derby, he said: "One thing that he does have is that he can play a central midfielder, he can play as a ten or wide left or wide right. He has that natural ability."

It's a trait that has followed him throughout his time in the academy and Eustace will be able to lean on this versatility when needed, but patience will be a virtue for the youngster as Derby return to Championship action this weekend.