Ruben Zakovich off to Derby County.

Derbyshire born Derbyshire bred
Strong in the arm and thick in the head.

That's what we sang at school when I lived just ten miles from Derby, in a town called Burton-on-Trent. Burton is in Staffordshire!

I think it referred to the rural life of the good folk of Derbyshire some years back.

So I'm well placed to say 'poor Ruben.'

It ain't Sydney and it's not even Newcastle (Jets). Newcastle, with it's beautiful beaches, is where people from Derby would dream of going for a holiday, or even to die.

I kid you not!

Interestingly Ruben spent some time with Notts County, a team in a lower division just down the road, so he knows the visual splendour he's heading into.

That said, Pride Park, the Rams home ground is new, and holds 30,000 or so.

Although relegated they have already sold 22,000 season tickets for next season.So maybe that original saying still holds.

Now he's off back to the Premier League, or a Championship side as they will be next season.

As an Olyroo, it suggests to me that these young guys need to give it a go in the A-League for a few more years, like Ruben did.

Now is the age Ruben and his merry men should be leaving. Only a Kewell or Spiranovic needs to go earlier.

Ruben may well make the grade at Derby. His energy is perhaps his biggest weapon. That, more than his skills, will ensure he matches David Carney and gets a gig in the English Championship.

And of course Aussie Mile Sterjovski is there, which suggests like at Nurnberg, some agent is having a nice time sending all his players to the one club.

Do Mile and Ruben have the same agent?