Savage's Rams Career
Robbie Savage was one of my favourite Rams players in recent years so I written this about his Derby Career.
On 9th January 2008 Robbie joined Derby from Blackburn for £1.5 million on a two and half year contract. He was given the squad number 44 as it adds up to Sav's famous number 8, then occupied by skipper Matt Oakley who joined Leicestrer not long after Savage's Derby arrival. When Oakley left Savage was awarded the Captains armband by then manager Paul Jewell.
Robbie Savage notably made many bad preformances that season for the Rams in the Premier League and he could not prevent relagation for Derby.
Paul Jewell repeatedley left Sav out of Pre-Season games in the 2008/09 season and he was forced to train with the Reserves. Robbie was rumoured a return to Leicester but this was dismissed by Derby. As the new season (09/09) begun Jewell replaced Savage as captain to Alan Stubbs, who later picked up a career ending injury so Paul Connally replaced him as Skipper. After failing to get into the first-team at Pride Park he was loaned to Brighton.
When then Manager Paul Jewell parted company with the Rams, little did Savage know his Derby career was set to make a huge U-Turn. Nigel Clough was appionted Derby Manager and Robbie Savage found himself back in the first team and an ever-present name on the team sheet.
On Wednesday 4th Febuary 2009 Derby famously beat Forest 3-2 having been 2-0 down in the FA Cup 4th Round Reply, After the game finished Robbie Savage waved a Derby County scarf in celebration of the victory.
Savage scored his first Derby goal against Doncastor at the Keepmoat Stadium in a 2-1 loss in Feburary 2009.
Savage signed a year extension to his Derby contract with the club on 10 August 2009 to take him through to the end of the 2010/11 season.Later that month Sav was appointed Derby skipper after Nigel Clough told Paul Connally he 'needed to concerntrate on his own game'. Robbie Savage played in all but one of Derby's 51 games in the 2009/2010 season. That season Savage made an unusual appearance in goal against Reading after Bywater went off injured and Sub Deeney was Red Carded. At the end of the year Sav won the Club's player of the season but lost out to Shaun Barker in the fans player of the season award.
Savage started the 2010/11 season in the starting 11 in a new formation around some of Clough's new signings. In October 2010 Sav made his 600th career appearence in a 3-0 win over Preston with Savage scoring a penalty.
In January 2011 Sav was offered a move to Vancuver Whitcaps in the MLS which he rejected and then confirmed he would retire at the end of the season to persue a career in the Media.
Robbie's final ever game in front of the Derby home support ended in an 2-0 defeat for Derby and his final ever game as a footballer ended in a 2-1 defeat at Reading where he was applauded by both sets of supporters.
