Osborn’s return to Pride Park Stadium marks a significant moment in his career, bringing him back to Derbyshire with a wealth of experience from over 300 appearances in the top tiers of English football. His journey has been quite the emotional rollercoaster, as he describes. After leaving Sheffield United, he was surprised by Derby’s interest, given his deep-rooted connections to the club since childhood.
Reflecting on his early years, Osborn recalls playing for Derby as a young boy before being released and moving to the other side of the A52, where he spent several years and eventually got close to the Nottingham Forest first team. Despite this shift, his affection for Derby County never waned. Now, having come full circle, Osborn is eager to make his mark at Pride Park Stadium over the next two years.
Osborn feels that now is the perfect time to return to Derby County because he is genuinely excited by the opportunity. He knows the club inside out and recognizes its immense potential. The prospect of contributing to the club’s success under the guidance of Paul Warne, who has been supportive since his departure from Sheffield United, is particularly appealing. Osborn believes that Derby is the right place for him to play his best football and finds the level of motivation he has for this move unparalleled. This return ticks many boxes for him and fills him with enthusiasm for the future..
Osborn shared that his family’s reaction to his return to Derby County has been mixed with emotion. His father, a lifelong Derby fan, faced a challenging time when Osborn played for Nottingham Forest. Sadly, his father passed away a couple of months ago and didn’t get to see him play for Derby County, which has been particularly emotional for Osborn. His mother and other family members feel a bit apprehensive, knowing the pressures that come with playing for the club he grew up supporting. However, Osborn is also aware of how much it means to the people of Derby, and this deepens his motivation to succeed and make his family proud.
On his memories of being at Pride Park…https://247epsports.com/
I had a season ticket here when I was growing up and was there for the promotion season under Billy Davies in 2006/07. The first time I was involved as a player was when I was on the bench for Forest and lost 5-0. I didn’t come on. That was a strange experience because I had mates in the crowd. I was warming up on the sideline and watching Forest get battered. The next time I played at Pride Park when I ended up scoring the winning goal for Forest and I think you can tell by my reaction I was just totally overwhelmed. That’s when my whole life changed really, from there. It was amazing at the time and Forest fans still bring it up if I bump into them.
On what he thinks the reaction of Forest fans will be…
It’s been five years since I left Forest. I left on OK terms. I carried on wanting them to do well when I was at Sheffield United. I owe a lot to them as a club and the people there. I think most peop;e will understand my decision but there is always going to be a bit of stick and rivalry and it is what it is.
On his time with Sheffield United…
My main goal was to always play in the Premier League. It was an unbelievable first year there but the second year was tough with COVID-19 and we ended up finishing bottom. To get back up into the Premier League was another incredible experience. I improved as a player and met friends for life there.
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