Derby County midfiedler Kasey Palmer clearly enjoyed the heated rivalry between the two local teams.

The Chelsea loanee only came on in the 66th minute, but impressed in the brief cameo he was given.

Such an intimidating atmosphere was always likely to have an impact on a young player, but Palmer appears to have enjoyed it rather than being subdued by it.

Gary Rowett will have been impressed by how Palmer approached the game because he clearly showed maturity beyond his years and was willing to contribute in tough parts of the match.

The youngster can be happy with his performance even if his side were unable to come away with a much-needed three points. However, they can't afford to focus on the result because they have a huge clash against Cardiff City next.

Here's what Palmer had to say in an interview with RamsTV: "Coming on off the substitutes bench into an atmosphere like that, I just wanted to get on the ball and express myself."

"It’s one of the best atmospheres that I have played in, especially since I have come to Derby. Our fans were loud and right at it from the first minute before the game. I knew just how big a game it was."

The Verdict

Palmer brought creativity and incisiveness to Derby's attack although they were unable to profit with a goal with part of that being due to Tom Huddlestone getting sent off.

His words will have pleased Rams fans because they show that he cares about the club and identifies with the fans, which is great considering he is on loan.

He also might have earned himself a start against Cardiff with a promising performance in the limited time he was given.