Derby County manager Phillip Cocu has suggested that Louie Sibley deserves all the recent acclaim he has received following his recent performances, and urged the 18-year-old to continue to work on improving his game.

Sibley has been one of the Rams’ breakthrough players this season under Cocu, with the likes of Jason Knight and Max Bird also having been given their chances to impress in the first team, and the attacking midfielder has started to really show his worth with some impressive performances since the turn of the year.

The 18-year-old delivered a standout performance in the Rams’ FA Cup win at Crystal Palace back in January, and Sibley has continued that form over the last few months, which saw him earn his first league start last time out against Blackburn Rovers, in which he produced a memorable strike to open his Championship account as Cocu’s side claimed a 3-0 win.

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Speaking to Derbyshire Live, Cocu revealed that he has been impressed with the attacking midfielder’s quality and attitude in training and praised him for taking his chance to impress against Blackburn.

"We worked hard and he worked hard on finding the right balance of playing in a team discipline and using your own intuition.

"He did this in a great way against Blackburn and confirmed all the improvement he made in all the months he trained with the first team - improvement in physical development, awareness, tactical knowledge and how we play as a team. Of course he has to continue his development, but he deserved to play (against Blackburn)."

The verdict

The suspension to the EFL season until at least April 3^rd will have come at a frustrating period for Sibley, with the attacking midfielder having been starting to build up some real momentum, with his form and starting to put down a real strong claim for a regular starting role.

The 18-year-old has had to bide his time for a start in the Championship, watching both Knight and Bird take their chances to impress and establish themselves as important members of Cocu’s side, but Sibley has demonstrated that he is also ready to make an impact on the first team at Pride Park in recent weeks.

Cocu deserves real credit for way in which he has handled Sibley’s development, with the attacking midfielder looking far more able and ready for first team football since the turn of the year, than he had looked in his few appearances during the first half of the campaign.

Sibley will be wise to take on board his manager’s advice and continue to work hard on improving his game on the training ground, and he will be hoping to continue on from where he left of when the season eventually is able to resume following the suspension.