Derby County may not have had the best start to the 2020/21 season, but one of their young stars has just received a massive boost.

Jason Knight broke into the Rams' first-team at the beginning of last season as an 18-year-old and ended up making 31 appearances - scoring six times.

That was a great return for Knight, and his performances did not go unnoticed as he was called up to the Republic of Ireland first-team squad for the very first time last month.

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His former under-21 boss Stephen Kenny is now at the helm of Ireland's first-team, and he clearly has a lot of faith in Knight's ability, as he threw him into the mix for his first appearance in a friendly against Finland.

Knight missed out on the squad for this month's fixtures, but he's now received a late call-up, due to the withdrawal of Preston midfielder Alan Browne.

This gives Knight his very first opportunity of actual competitive football for the Boys in Green, as they play both Wales and Bulgaria this week in Nations League action.

The Verdict

This latest call-up can only be a good thing for Knight, who has a good amount of Championship experience for a teenager.

On the basis of Ireland's performance against England, they need a midfielder with some attacking quality behind the striker to step up to the plate in their next two games, and Knight could end up being that man.

It's important for Ireland fans to not heap too much pressure on him though if that is the case - but he will be desperate to impress if he makes his competitive bow for his nation.