Kayden Jackson signed for Derby County this summer.

Taping boots, Premier League promotion and an inevitable Derby County transfer

In a long interview with Derbyshire Live, the club's new striker opens up on his move to Pride Park, his career and his ambitions this season

28 Jul 2024, 08:00 by Leigh Curtis · Derbyshire Live

Sitting in the media room at Derby County's training ground, Kayden Jackson is in a reflective mood ahead of a gruelling pre-season session.

From taping up his boots in the depths of non-league football with Albion Sports to winning promotion to the Premier League with Ipswich last season, it has been quite a ride.

But in what has been an excellent career, there was a point in time that he never thought he would make it. It is a fear that most if not all aspiring young pros will have experienced at some point, but the important lesson to be learned is to never abandon hope.

It took three years of playing non-league football before Jackson made his debut in the Football League with Grimsby Town and he hasn't looked back since.

"It's ridiculous really," he tells Derbyshire Live. "When I sit down and look back, it's been an incredible journey. There have been ups and downs, but you wouldn't change it for anything. I'm not sure if that is even semi-professional now but I was at Albion Sports and before that I played a little bit in the West Yorkshire league which was even lower. But I loved every minute of just playing men's football for the first time.

"You'd rock up with your mates and it was class, but I'll be honest and say that I didn't think I'd become a professional footballer. I was 17-18 at the time and you just think that if opportunities keep passing you by, you're not going to be able to take one. When I did make my debut for Grimsby and scored in my first game, it was then a case of 'right, I want more of this'. There was still a lot of hard work to be done at that time. Even now, I don't take it for granted because I know where I've come from.

"I know a lot of my friends and a lot of people that I've played with that have not been as fortunate as I have been. I just go out there every day to enjoy it, but most of all to keep working and to keep improving. A lot of the time, you can be in the academy system too early or for too long and it can suck the life out of you.

"You're getting told so many different things by different coaches year on year and I've not had that. For me, there was always a freshness and an eagerness to play football and to be involved full time.

"Had I been in the system a little earlier then perhaps that might not have been the case. But whether it is washing your own kit, washing your boots and taping them up because they're falling apart, I've done it all. It's all part of the journey and thankfully, it's worked out."

It is clear from listening to Jackson talk that his persona is a perfect fit for Derby's head coach Paul Warne who likes players with an interesting story to tell. He is engaging company and he fits the identity of what Warne has brought to Pride Park since he was appointed head coach.

But there has been an air of inevitability about Jackson's move to Derby given Warne has pursued him numerous times in the past but the stars never aligned. Once he left Ipswich at the end of the season, Warne picked up the phone again having made him one of his top targets to lead what will be a new-look attack with Jerry Yates also arriving on a season-long loan from Swansea.

"To be fair, the boss and I have spoken for a while and he tried to sign me many years ago," Jackson tells Derbyshire Live. "At that time I was at Accrington and after that, he tried a few more times while I was at Ipswich. I don't think it's a secret that we have huge admiration for each other. The boss has watched me, my career and I think now is a good time to work together. I might have signed for him a bit earlier but in football you have the contractual stuff and sometimes you don't necessarily have a say in things yourself.

"But as soon I was a free agent, he reached out and I came down to have a look at the facilities, had a chat with him and it was a pretty easy decision on my behalf. He's cracked a few jokes since about getting me at long last. I've always spoken to Matt Hamshaw (first-team coach) and Andy Warrington (goalkeeping coach) who was at Grimsby when I was there many years ago.

"I've always had a good relationship with Richie Barker (assistant head coach) as well. It's been a long time coming and I'm happy to be here. It's aligned nicely because a club like Derby, the facilities, the support, the backing and everything the club is about, I'm excited to be here and I hope we can have a successful season."

What success looks like for Derby next season is hard to tell given the squad is still being put together. After last season's glory of promotion from League One, there is hope momentum from triumph can help them navigate what is an incredibly tough division. The levels of spending in the second tier this summer prove as much with Leeds spending £10m on Joe Rodon and Coventry spending a reported £5m on Huddersfield's Jack Rudoni.

Derby's biggest outlay has been on Kenzo Goudmijn from AZ Alkmaar and the return of Ebou Adams from Cardiff City with both players coming in for middle six-figure sums. The transition from League One back to the Championship has proven tough for some teams and survival surely must be the priority before anything else is considered.

That's not to say, they cannot be successful given Jackson has just left Ipswich who won the League One title and then finished second in the Championship last term. Admittedly they spent a fair bit of cash along the way, but it was still a remarkable success story that Jackson says was a result of everybody being on the same page.

"It was just an unbelievably hard-working group and a hard-working club, to be honest," he continues. "Everybody in the club was aligned, everyone had a vision and everyone came in each day to improve themselves.

"There was an ability to win promotion from League One to the Championship, but within that, there was hard work, sacrifices and just wanting to improve day on day. You wanted to learn and there was no better manager than Kieran McKenna. It was just an incredible group that had an incredible mentality. We didn't necessarily think that automatic promotion would be achievable or would be possible, but we believed we could do something special and be in or around the playoff spots.

"The start we had solidified that belief and from then on, it was like a snowball effect and we gained momentum. Hopefully, we can have a successful season here but success can look different whether that's a top-half finish or sneaking in the playoffs. We won't know until the whole squad is together. We just have to give it a good go and enjoy it."

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Buy our Derby County 2024/25 special - pre-order now from our online store

Derby County are back in the Championship after basking in the glory of promotion and the excitement around Pride Park continues to grow ahead of the big kick-off.

With the season's opener at Blackburn just around the corner, Rams fans are wondering what the campaign will hold now they are back in the second tier.

Armed with five new signings and more to come before the window closes, Derby's squad will have a new-look come August 9. We've already been treated to glimpses of Kenzo Goudmijn's flair in the centre of midfield while new front pair Jerry Yates and Kayden Jackson are both off the mark in pre-season.

Ebou Adams is back and patrolling midfield with the tenacity and aggression that made him such a huge hit last season. And Ben Osborn has secured an emotional homecoming to Pride Park, the club he grew up watching on the terraces.

In a league that contains some big punchers in Leeds and Sheffield United, there are some blockbusting fixtures to look forward to.

And with the Rams set to be backed by legions of black and white as they return to some familiar destinations, it is a season that promises plenty of excitement.

It is a great time to be a Derby fan and to celebrate the feelgood factor around Pride Park we've produced our Derby County 2024-25 Kick Off special, our brilliant guide to the new season.

Our man at Pride Park, Leigh Curtis, will assess the season ahead and what lies in store for a club that is back on the up under owner David Clowes.

Our club-by-club guides give you the lowdown on Derby's Championship rivals and the managers in the division, while our away days pages will tell you all you need to know about the grounds the Rams will be visiting.

With a full fixture list and key dates for the campaign, Derby County's 2024-25 Kick-Off will get you back in perfect match shape in time for the opening day clash at Blackburn on August 9.

Order your copy now from our online store and get it delivered direct to your door. On sale in selected independent retailers and supermarkets in Derby priced £3.50 from July 31. Worldwide shipping available, postage and packaging applies.