Midfielder Louie Sibley made the decision to leave Derby County for fellow newly-promoted Championship side Oxford United this summer.

Sibley came through the Derby academy, and after making his senior debut in August 2019, he went on to make 173 first-team appearances for the club.

The 23-year-old spent much of last season operating in an unfamiliar left-wing back role, and he played a crucial role as the Rams were promoted to the Championship, but he departed Pride Park this summer after rejecting the offer of a new contract.

A number of clubs were said to be interested in Sibley after his exit from Derby, but he opted to make the move to Oxford, stating that it “wasn’t a hard decision to make” and that he “wanted to get this deal done” as soon as he heard of the U’s interest.

While some Rams supporters may have been disappointed by the fact that Sibley turned down a new deal, they will likely be keeping a keen eye on his progress, and we looked at how the midfielder is getting on at the Kassam Stadium.

Louie Sibley has found it tough at Oxford United so far

Having played out of position for much of last season, Sibley said that he wanted to be “a midfielder in those areas where I can get on the ball and be in the pockets” after his arrival at Oxford.

However, the form of Idris El Mizouni and Ruben Rodrigues has made it difficult for Sibley to break into the U’s team, and all three of his league appearances so far have come from the bench, although he has started twice in the EFL Cup.

Oxford have made an excellent start to life back in the Championship, and they currently sit 10th in the table after picking up 12 points from their first nine games, so head coach Des Buckingham has understandably been reluctant to change a winning team, but Sibley’s most recent substitute appearance has given the 39-year-old a selection headache.

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The former Rams owner agreed to sell the club to Erik Alonso at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, but it was a deal that went up in flames.

The U’s were 1-0 down to winless Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Saturday when Sibley was introduced in the second half, but just two minutes after coming on, the midfielder equalised for his side with a strike from outside the box to earn what could prove to be a crucial point.

Buckingham was full of praise for Sibley after the game, telling the Oxford Mail: “A special mention to Louie Sibley, who has had to be patient all season, and watched others go on before him.

“He’s been very patient to take his chance when he got it. To bring him on, it was a wonderful finish from Louie.

“I see it every day in training with the goalkeepers within the shooting practices telling him to take a little bit off because he’s got a sledgehammer of a foot.

“I think that sums up the togetherness of this group, and how important squad depth is to us at the moment when we’re missing seven or eight players that have started for us this year.”

It remains to be seen whether Sibley’s goal will be enough for him to force his way into the starting line-up for the game against West Brom after the international break, but it will certainly have done him no harm, and it is clear that Buckingham has been impressed by his attitude despite not featuring regularly.

There is no doubt that Sibley will be a useful player for Oxford to have in their squad this season, and after he signed a long-term deal at the Kassam Stadium, the club will hope that he can continue to develop in the years to come and potentially make them a healthy profit in the future.