Official: Liverpool Defender Joins Derby County

It’s been a long time in coming, but nearly a month after word that Andre Wisdom was expected to transfer to Derby County this summer and two weeks after the clubs agreed a fee of around £4.5M, the defender has today officially joined the Rams.

The 24-year-old has signed a four-year deal, and is likely to spend most of his time at Derby as a right back, where he played for the club during a successful season-long loan in 2013-14 and helping the Rams to the Championship playoff final.

He also spent time at centre half, both while coming up through the ranks at Liverpool and while out on loan over the past four seasons, with 2013-14’s successful spell with Derby followed up by time spent at West Brom, Norwich, and Salzburg.

Wisdom joined Liverpool in 2008 from Bradford City as a 14-year-old in a deal worth around £400k, a remarkable fee for a player his age at a lower league club at the time. However, he always appeared stuck between positions with the Reds.

Undersized for a centre half but lacking the pace to play as an attacking fullback, Wisdom’s Anfield future looked increasingly uncertain as he grew older and was sent out on loan again and again to what appeared to be diminishing returns.

Derby, though, was his best season as a senior pro, and so it isn’t hugely surprising the club would want to sign him to a permanent deal given his success there, and it’s good to see Wisdom end up at a club that is likely to value his presence.