Derby County confirm appointment of Paul Warne as new head coach

Derby County have confirmed the appointment of Paul Warne as the club's new head coach.

Earlier this week, the Rams made the decision to remove Liam Rosenior from his interim role in the dugout, a consequence of a mixed start to the season.

While Derby have collected 14 points from nine games, the East Midlands outfit have scored just nine times and already sit seven points adrift of the automatic promotion places.

That has led to Derby moving to secure the services of Warne, who has been in charge of Rotherham since November 2016.

During that time, the 49-year-old has guided the Millers to three promotions from League One, and the Yorkshire outfit are currently impressing in their latest season back in the Championship.

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Like Derby, Rotherham have 14 points from nine league games this season, albeit having suffered just one defeat during that period.

Warne has penned a contract at Derby until the end of 2025-26, and a club statement has revealed the reasoning behind making a full-time appointment at this stage of the campaign.

It read: "As was made clear in the summer, the board intended to take a period of time evaluating every aspect of the club and having done that, we believe Paul's track record of success at this level fits perfectly into our long-term strategy.

"He has won promotion three times from League One in almost 300 matches as a manager, as well as the Papa Johns Trophy last season, and his recent achievements with Rotherham United highlight his ability and experience, two factors which will be vital in this pivotal season for Derby County.

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"Paul's arrival means the end of Liam Rosenior's tenure as interim manager and, on behalf of everyone at Pride Park Stadium, we would like to thank Liam for all his efforts during an incredibly difficult period and in helping to stabilise the club under new ownership.

"There can be no doubting Liam's hard work and dedication and he undoubtedly has a huge future in management. At this time, however, we believe the time is right to make a transition in terms of leadership and progress on the pitch."

As a result of international call-ups, Derby's scheduled fixture at home to Cheltenham Town this weekend has been postponed.

Instead, Warne will take charge of his first game when Derby square off against Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium on October 1.