Derby County midfielder Graeme Shinnie has stated that it was very tough for himself to get back into the team after picking up a hamstring injury.

The 28-year-old was a key player for much of his time at Aberdeen, but after moving to Derby in the summer, the midfielder was quickly out of favour.

He signed under Frank Lampard but the Scotland international found himself in the under-23 squad after failing to impress the manager, Phillip Cocu.

Now, he's very much in the mix for a place in the starting XI of Derby's first fixture after the Championship has finished its suspension.

Shinnie has insisted he's back to his best, and has come back stronger after the injury he suffered earlier in the campaign.

Talking to the BBC, Shinnie said: "I was really enjoying my football and playing in the league then the injury came at a really bad time. I haven't had any injuries in my career and then I go and split my tendon in my hamstring. It put me out for 10 weeks. Trying to get back to form when the team was playing so well was tough.

"I was in and out the team, but in our last game at Blackburn we won 3-0 and I played very well. I felt that was me back to my best, then everything came to a halt because of coronavirus."

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The Verdict

It's going to be interesting to see if Shinnie is going to start the first game for the Rams. He finally got into the team and was playing well, but that could all change heading into the future.

He's a versatile player and does his job well, and in some ways isn't the type of midfielder you'd expect to see Cocu use in his possession based midfield.

However, he's doing the job fine when called upon and he could well be an asset that the Rams can use effectively when they head into the final nine games of the Championship season.