Derby County manager Wayne Rooney has suggested that Duane Holmes has not been training well enough to earn a place in the Rams’ squad following their 1-0 defeat at home to Rotherham United.

Holmes has been the subject of speculation over his potential long-term future so far this month, with the versatile midfielder reportedly interesting his former club Huddersfield Town.

It has been reported that the Rams could be willing to cash in on the 26-year-old with his contract set to expire in the summer.

The midfielder has made just seven starts for the Rams in the Championship this term and he has not featured in the league since the 2-0 win against Swansea City a month ago. Holmes was left out of the squad for the visit of Rotherham on Saturday and that his presence as an option from the bench might have been useful given the poor performance from Rooney’s side.

Quiz: The top 16 Derby County record player departures – Which club did they join though?

Speaking to the media after the defeat to Rotherham, Rooney revealed that Holmes had been left out the squad for football reasons and suggested that he has not been training well enough to earn his place. He also issued an ultimatum to him to improve on the training pitch in order to be considered for selection.

He said: “Duane Holmes hasn’t been in the squad for football reasons. He knows he needs to train better and give me the option to use him or not.”

The Verdict

This seems like something of the beginning of the end for Holmes’ Derby career, there seems little chance that he will be offered a new deal given he now cannot even make it into the squad for games.

That is a real shame because the 26-year-old was a key performer for the Rams last term registering two goals and three assists and averaging one key pass per game in the league (Sofascore).

At this stage it does seem like a potential switch back to Huddersfield might be the best option for all parties with the Terriers needing another attacking midfielder in their squad, while the 26-year-old seemingly needs a fresh start after these comments from Rooney.

It is not often a manager will call a player out for their performance in training, so you would suggest that it is a long way back for the midfielder in terms of getting back into Rooney’s plans. It will be interesting to see whether this steps up any attempts to move him before the transfer window closes.