Derby County defender Archie Brown has left the club in favour of a move to Swiss side FC Lausanne Sport.

Brown failed to make a single appearance for the Derby first-team, but was offered a new contract by the Rams this summer, with his original contract set to expire this month.

A number of the Under-23s side were released from their contracts that expired this month, but Brown was one of two players to be offered a new deal by the Rams, but he's opted to turn down the club's offer.

The 19-year-old made 18 appearances for the Derby Under-23s team in the Premier League 2 campaign last term, but evidently didn't see his future with the Championship side.

Brown joins a FC Lausanne Sport side that finished sixth in the Swiss top flight last season, and he'll be eager to make a positive impact with his new side at the earliest of opportunities.

FC Lausanne Sport's president is Englishman David Thompson, and you would imagine that he's had a small say in this agreement to sign the defender.

It was a frustrating league campaign last term for Derby County's first-team, as they narrowly avoided relegation into League One on the final day of the season, after drawing 3-3 with Sheffield Wednesday, in a result which relegated the Owls instead.

The Verdict: 

This is an interesting move for Brown.

He wasn't likely to be in and around the Derby County first-team next season, as Wayne Rooney has better options available to him heading into the new league campaign.

But he could have been a useful option to have for the club's Under-23s team next term, which could have seen him challenge for a spot in the first-team in future seasons.

He's made the bold call to leave the club though, and I'm intrigued to see how he performs over in Switzerland with FC Lausanne Sport.