Derby County have enjoyed a tough season in the Championship, with Wayne Rooney's side still battling to stay in the division.

However, things have gone better for the U23s in Premier League 2, as the Rams recorded an impressive 4-1 victory at Liverpool over the weekend to move up to fifth in the table.

And, the club

/CMJ1TSsjZ4J/">shared the goals from the resounding win on Instagram, with Jordan Brown, Tyree Wilson, Cameron Cresswell and Kornell McDonald getting on the scoresheet.

The effort from the latter was particularly good, as he finished off a sweeping move from the young Rams side.

Of course, the next step for these talented Derby players will be to push for a place in the first-team, with boss Rooney showing he is willing to give youngsters a chance.

Louie Watson is the latest youngster to be given a chance, with Louis Sibley, Jason Knight, Lee Buchanan and Max Bird some who have also made a mark in the first XI recently.

Despite Rooney transforming the East Midlands outfit since taking over, successive defeats means they are still looking over their shoulder in the fight for survival.

The verdict

Derby fans will understandably be unhappy with how things have gone for them this season, but the one positive is the emergence of the young players.

Clearly, there's more coming through the ranks as well, because the 4-1 win at Liverpool was the latest example of this team doing very well.

So, it will be interesting to see who does make the step up from the U23s in the years to come.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.