History-making Crystal Palace midfielder Ozoh scores first senior goal for loan club Derby County 

Nigerian midfielder David Ozoh scored his first senior goal as Derby County thrashed Bristol City 3-0 on matchday four in the EFL Championship on Saturday.

Five hundred and eighty eight days after Ozoh made history as the youngest ever player to represent Crystal Palace in the Premier League, he opened his goalscoring account as a professional in what was his nineteenth senior game.

The Valencia-born player joined the Rams on a season-long loan in July 2024 in search of regular playing opportunities.

He netted his first goal in Derby County colours as the Championship new boys registered an impressive 2-1 win over Spanish La Liga side Real Valladolid in a pre-season friendly at Pride Park Stadium on August 3 but the goal was in an unofficial game.

The Crystal Palace academy graduate has started five of the six matches contested by Derby County this term and was a second half substitute in the Carabao Cup defeat to Barrow AFC on Tuesday.

Against Bristol City, Kenzo Goudmijn found the bottom corner to open the scoring in the 28th minute and Kayden Jackson doubled the advantage at minute 60.

In a move he started and finished, Ozoh got past three Bristol City players like they were not there, and then found himself on the edge of the box and struck the ball perfectly, hard and low, into the net.

Ozoh was deployed as a deep-lying midfielder in the first half but the manager asked him to play a bit higher in the second half so he can block the passes through the middle of the pitch.  

Derby County have two Championships wins from their first two home games, and are ninth in the standings with six points, one point adrift of the playoff places. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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