Crystal Palace loanee David Ozoh has earned a nomination for Derby County's Young Player of the Season after logging 31 appearances and one goal during his second spell with the Championship club. The 20-year-old midfielder, who started 22 of those matches, is among seven players vying for the honour that will be decided at Pride Park on 28 April 2026.
Ozoh's campaign marks a sharp rebound from his first loan, when a serious thigh injury limited him to only ten league games. Eligible through his Nigerian parentage, the Valencia-born player has declared himself open to representing the Super Eagles and models his game on former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel and ex-Palace winger Victor Moses.
He must outshine teammates Bobby Clark, Jaydon Banel, Max Johnston, Oscar Fraulo and Liam Thompson to claim the award, which requires nominees to be 23 or under and have made at least five senior appearances in the 2025-26 season.
Ozoh's nomination feels like a quiet warning to Nigeria's midfield depth chart: a tri-national who grew up idolising Mikel is now one of Derby's most reliable engines, and he still hasn't pledged anywhere. If the NFF sleep on him, England or Spain could cap-tie a 6'1" ball-winner who has already proved he can handle 31 bruising Championship matches.
Tactically, his return from injury and subsequent 22 starts show Derby manager Paul Warne trusts him to screen a back four that spent much of the season in the relegation scrap. One goal from defensive midfield is modest, but his real currency has been ball recoveries and the composure that let the Rams play out from the back under pressure. Should he win the club's Young Player award, expect Premier League clubs beyond Palace to queue for next season's loan.
For Nigerian fans, Ozoh represents the rare defensive midfielder who combines La Masia-style upbringing with English physicality. With Wilfred Ndidi's injury record and Frank Onyeka's patchy club form, a call-up before June's AFCON qualifiers would let Jose Peseiro gauge whether Ozoh can anchor the Super Eagles for the next decade.
Watch whether Derby survive relegation this month; survival guarantees him another year of week-to-week Championship steel, the perfect forge for a player still choosing between three national flags.
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