Derby County manager Wayne Rooney has revealed that defender George Edmundson declared himself fit early to feature in the club's 3-0 defeat at Preston on Tuesday.

Edmundson, who joined the Rams on loan from Rangers in January, hadn't featured for Derby since the middle of March having recently undergone a hernia operation.

However, the 23-year-old returned to action for Derby at Deepdale, coming off the bench 34 minutes into that loss to replace the injured Andre Wisdom in defence.

Now it seems as though Edmundson put himself on the line to make an appearance in that game.

Speaking about the defender's return to action after the game, Rooney was quoted by Derbyshire Live as saying: "Kamil Jozwiak got a knock in training (on Monday) and George was in the treatment room, getting treatment, and he insisted he was ready to go on the bench if we needed him for the last 10 minutes.

"When a player wants to play, and given where we are at (in the table) wants to show that courage to play, I had no issue in putting him on the bench."

Despite Edmundson seemingly being on the pitch for longer than anticipated, it seems as though the defender came through the experience unscathed, with Rooney adding: "He played longer than we expected, but he has come through really well and he will be available for Saturday."

That match on Saturday sees Derby host Birmingham City at Pride Park, in a game that could have significant ramifications at the bottom of the Championship table, with both sides looking to avoid relegation to League One.

The Verdict

I do think you have to give some praise to Edmundson here.

Ultimately, things did not work out for Derby on Tuesday, with that defeat at Preston another damaging setback that leaves them relying on results elsewhere to avoid relegation.

However, the fact that Edmundson was willing to put himself on the line and return early from injury to try and help them here, is an admirable attitude for a player to have.

Indeed, given he is only on loan, meaning the consequences of relegation may not be quite as significant for him, the dedication he has shown to take a risk in trying to help his side is impressive, and an approach that could win him some welcome praise if he sticks to it throughout his career.