Can this Derby cult-hero help take his club to the Premier League?

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Modern football rarely produces classic players anymore, players that cause those of an older generation to recall the heroes of their day. Too often footballers become overwhelmed by the fame and money that comes with being a professional athlete in this modern age. However, the sport still does produce genuine characters that care not only about their careers but also about the fans and clubs that they encounter.

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One such man is Derby County’s Jake Buxton. Having joined The Rams in 2009, Buxton has found himself in and out of the team since – largely down to injuries – sporadically holding down a place in the centre of Derby’s defence. With every coming manager, rumours fly around that ‘Bucko’ is on his way out of the club, to the disappointment of many fans. Despite this, Buxton always fights his way back into the team and proves why he has spent 7 years at the East Midlands club. Derby have tinkered with centre-back pairings on an almost bi-season basis in recent times, with a solid pairing rarely being found, due to the influences of injuries more often than not. Throughout the many centre-back pairings that The Rams have utilised since his arrival, Buxton has always found himself fighting for his life to keep his place in the team, more often than not simply forcing his way into managers’ plans.

Since becoming a cult legend at Derby after scoring a last minute winner against Nottingham Forest in 2012, Buxton has been the epitome of the British Bulldog. Constantly considered as the unlikely underdog, Buxton has proved himself as a vital part of Derby’s defence time and time again, having to prove himself to others almost every season, with various serious injuries not subduing his fighting spirit and loyalty to the cause. The ability displayed by Buxton – despite his appearance as an old fashioned ‘chopper’ of a centre-back – has led to Derby fans endearingly chanting “Jake Buxton is a football genius” almost every time the man from Sutton-in-Ashfield touches the ball. Despite numerous setbacks – often for months at a time – Buxton has emerged with the ability to play in the Premier League. What he does may not be pretty, but his sheer desire to put everything on the line for his teammates is crucial for any team pushing for promotion to England’s top league.

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He has grown as a player since joining Derby, helping the club remain in the Championship during the hard times at the beginning of Nigel Clough’s tenure as manager, through to playing in the 2014 Play-Off Final at Wembley, suffering heartbreak at the hands of QPR, the distraught figures of Keogh and Buxton being a sobering sight for any Rams’ fan at the final whistle. Buxton’s passion for the club is such that it is easy to forget that his family are all actually Nottingham Forest fans, with Buxton (and his brother Jed – who works at the club as Supporter Liason Officer) being raised as a Red. Despite this ‘early setback’ in life, Buxton displays total love for Derby County with every match that passes, social media post any Derby victory often has a picture of ‘Bucko’ tapping the Ram badge as he applauds the fans. He has reached almost mythical status with many fans, however, his real value lies in the ability to rally the team around the cause, as shown in Derby’s 1-0 victory over rivals Forest in March 2016. Despite not starting the match, Buxton replaced fellow centre-back Jason Shackell with 10 minutes left to play, immediately setting himself about rallying the Rams to put their bodies on the line and grind out a hard-fought victory against their local rivals, much to the delight of the fans and Buxton himself.

Due to his reputation as a ‘death or glory’ player who sticks to the simple and efficient side of football, Buxton also pops up with a goal or two every so often, usually in important circumstances. Since joining Derby, he has scored 11 of his 15 career goals with the Rams, including his famous header in the last minute vs Forest and a couple against historic rivals Leeds United, further endearing himself to the Rams faithful. Few of his goals are pretty but does it really matter? Buxton rarely does things the stylish way but what fans want to see is a player, like himself, that plays football for the love of football, rather than personal glory. Obviously, he will want to better himself, but never at the detriment of any club he is at, which explains why so many Derby fans appreciate what he does for the club.

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A truly old-fashioned, down to earth centre back, Buxton has forged a successful career at Derby, despite having the odds seemingly stacked against him for the majority of his 7 years at the club so far. Hopefully, both Bucko and the club can complete the journey to the Premier League together and further cement the legend that is Jake Buxton into Derby County folklore.

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