Matej Vydra hit all three goals as Derby County rose into the play-off places with a 3-0 win over Middlesbrough at the Riverside on Saturday but revealed that he will not keep the match ball. 

The Czech hitman is the Rams' top scorer this season with 12 goals and told the club's official website the reason why.

He said: "I’m going to give the match ball to my father. I always give all my trophies and balls to him. I hope he was happy this afternoon and I look forward to talking to him about the game.

"It’s a hard place to come to and they played well in the first half but we scored first. The second half was much better from us.

"We kept the ball, we scored the early penalty and then we were playing against ten men. Now we can step forward from this performance looking ahead to the two games and try to win both.

"Before the game, I spoke with my agent and told him that Derby haven’t won for 17 years at Middlesbrough and he told me to go and change history.

"Now we have a very good chance to step up because we have won a very hard game away from home. From what I’ve seen, teams always struggle when they come to Pride Park and always look for the point.

"If you compare my goal record last season to this season, there is a big difference but that is football life and I’m just trying to do my best for me and my team mates."

The Verdict:

The main concern surrounding this Derby side is its lack of creativity and goal threat but Vydra is doing his level best to put those issues to bed.

If he can stay fit and firing then he is by far the most crucial cog in Gary Rowett's machine, that looks as if it is clicking into life as the Rams sit sixth in the league.

Derby fans - how good has Vydra been this season? How crucial is he to your chances of promotion? Let us know below...