A number of Derby County supporters have heaped praise on talented midfielder Louie Watson following his influential display in the Rams’ 3-3 draw with Salford City in the League Cup that they then won on penalties.

Watson had been handed a start by Wayne Rooney in the Rams’ opening Championship game of the season against Huddersfield Town on Saturday and he showed glimpses of his promise in possession for Derby during his 52 minutes on the field against the Terriers.

However, against Salford City Watson was able to put down a major marker of his quality with the 20-year-old helping to dictate the tempo of the game at times for the Rams.

The midfielder showed a lot of composure under pressure with the ball at his feet and demonstrated that he has real vision and can pick out some dangerous progressive passes into the final third.

Watson was heavily involved throughout the cup tie and played a key role in helping Derby first recover from being 2-0 down inside the first 15 minutes, and then get them back on level terms after they had conceded a third.

In total, Watson had 89 touches of the ball, made four key passes and maintained an impressive 92% passing accuracy against Salford.

While the 20-year-old also showed a lot of composure by stepping up and converting the winning penalty for the Rams that sealed their progression to the next round.

Many Derby fans were highly impressed with Watson’s display and have a lot of confidence that he can be a key player for them this season.

Here, we take a look at some of the best reactions on social media…