Ozoh ready to carry an extra load as Adams serves ban

MIDFIELDER SAYS MIDWEEK GOAL AGAINST NORWICH MEANT SO MUCH

- By JAMES PALLATT AND RICHARD GARNETT

DAVID Ozoh is ready to step up again for Derby County.

The on-loan Crystal Palace midfielder scored the winner for the Rams as they beat Norwich City 1-0 at Pride Park Stadium on Tuesday night in the Championship.

And having netted his first goal of the season to inspire a first win of the season on home soil, the 20-year-old insists he’s ready to take on extra responsibility today in the absence of Ebou Adams.

Fellow midfielder Adams will be suspended when the Rams face Queens Park Rangers at Pride Park this afternoon (3pm) and Ozoh said: “It’s a big responsibility but it's what you play football for.

“There's nothing to shy away from. It doesn’t mean anything.

“It's just my job to speak to whoever plays next to me, to get them to know what to do.

“There’s more confidence in the team now. I've said that we needed to get that first win and once you get that, I feel like we can go on a good run now.”

Ozoh is enjoying his second loan at the club, having endured an injury-hit spell at Pride Park last season.

Reflecting on his goal against Norwich, he told the club website: “It meant a lot to me.

“Scoring and finally getting our first win was a massive thing for us. You can tell by the celebrations how much it meant to me.

“When I came back here, I spoke about unfinished business, so I felt like that’s just a little part of that.

“It's tough to get into that winning feeling, so we knew that the first win that comes at home would be important and we had to do it sooner rather than later.