Port Vale loanee told to finish season strongly
Derby County boss John Eustace has admitted Dajaune Brown has not played as often as hoped during his loan spell at Port Vale, but believes the striker can still end the season on a high.
Brown impressed in Vale’s shock FA Cup win over Sunderland, one of the brighter moments in what has otherwise been a difficult campaign for the division’s bottom club. Port Vale are 11 points adrift of safety and appear to be sliding towards relegation, which has made consistent game time hard to come by for several players, including the Derby forward.
Eustace’s comments were revealing because they underlined both the frustration and the opportunity. Brown may not have nailed down a regular starting place, but his display against Premier League opposition showed there is still something to build on before the campaign closes.
“It’s a great experience for him, but I don’t think he has played as much as we would have liked.
“But it’s great he had the chance to play against Premier League opposition.
“I thought he did really well. He needs to keep playing, keep improving and keep showing the manager that he is good enough to be playing at that level.
“Hopefully he can finish off the season really strong.”
Vale’s position looks increasingly bleak, but for Brown there is still time to salvage something personally from the loan, and that could matter whether he returns to Derby for pre-season or looks for another move next term.