Nick Blackman is setting his sights on the Premier League after joining Championship title hopefuls Derby County for £2.5m on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
Blackman, who is 26 and from Whitefield in Manchester, has turned into one of the division’s most high-regarded marksmen and he admits the opportunity to work with manager Paul Clement was too good to turn down.
"I’m excited to join Derby," said Blackman, who has a Jewish mother. "Once I heard that this club was interested it was the only place that I wanted to come to. It’s the right place for where I am at in my career.
"I have had a sample of how Paul (Clement) works and I really enjoyed it when we were together at Blackburn when he was on the coaching team. That was a big reason in me coming here.
"You never know what can happen in football. I always hoped that I would get the chance to work with him again because he was a fantastic coach then and he is doing great things in his first full job at Derby now. I’m delighted to be working with him again.
"He’s had a great career and worked at some of the world’s biggest clubs and I’m sure that he is looking to be just as successful with Derby as well.
"The philosophy and the structure of the club also stands out for me. Everything here is geared up for the Premier League.”
Clement expressed delight following the arrival of “one of the Championship's leading goal-scorers who played at the 2005 Maccabiah Games in Israel.
He said: "There has been a lot of interest in him so we're naturally happy that he has chosen to join us.
"We've got a number of talented players in the attacking areas of our squad and Nick only enhances that."
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