A number of Derby County fans have heaped praise on defender Nathan Byrne following his performance in the Rams’ vital 1-0 win away against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

Wayne Rooney’s side headed into the game knowing they had a massive chance to lift themselves clear of the bottom three with their meeting with QPR the only one to take place in the Championship yesterday.

The Rams took full advantage with Colin Kazim-Richards scoring the only goal of the game to move them five points clear of the relegation zone.

One player that was instrumental to Derby’s hard-fought victory was Byrne, with the defender proving a constant threat going forward from right wing-back.

The summer signing made two tackles and two interceptions as well as completing one key dribble and producing some dangerous crosses into the penalty area (Sofascore).

Quiz: Who has done more of these 15 things out of Derby and Nottingham Forest?

Byrne has been one of Derby’s most impressive performers throughout the campaign so far and the defender has been consistently reliable going forward, averaging 1.3 key passes per game (Sofascore).

Saturday brought more of the same from the 28-year-old, who could well prove to be key to the Rams’ chances of surviving this term in the Championship.

Many Derby fans were keen to suggest that Byrne had been their most influential performer on the day at QPR, with one supporter saying he has been one of their best performers in the last few transfer windows.

Here then, we take a look at some of the best reactions on social media…