Derby County will be aiming to use their recent second-half comeback against Brentford as a platform to build upon this weekend when they head to the Bet365 Stadium to face Stoke City.

Goals from Lee Gregory and Louie Sibley secured a point for the Rams in their clash with the Bees at Pride Park earlier this week as they extended their advantage over the relegation zone.

Currently 19th in the Championship, the Rams could climb above Huddersfield Town and arch-rivals Nottingham Forest by beating Stoke.

Whilst manager Wayne Rooney will be focused on guiding Derby to safety in the coming weeks, off-the-field matters continue to dominate the headlines at Pride Park.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Sheikh Khaled's proposed takeover of the Rams had collapsed due to an inability to provide the funds needed to purchase the club from owner Mel Morris.

Making reference to this setback, Rooney has admitted that he has no intentions of leaving Derby and is determined to help the club achieve their long-term goal of reaching the Premier League.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the Rams boss said: "I am here for the long-term.

"I am not here to mess around or because an ownership deal does or doesn't go through.

"In my time here I hope we can get the club to the Premier League.

"I take the job very seriously and I'm grateful for Derby putting their trust in me.

"I am confident my way of managing will help the club so I am here to manage the club for a long time.

"It wasn't a short-term fix or dependent on a takeover, I signed a two-and-a-half year deal and that's what I'm looking forward to doing."

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

This is unquestionably good news for Derby as the last thing the club needs at the moment is more uncertainty following a failed takeover.

Since being appointed as Rams boss on a permanent basis in January, Rooney has made a steady start to his career as his side have won six games out of 15 in the Championship.

Providing that he is able to secure Derby's second-tier status for another season in May, the former England international could potentially draft in some players who can help the club reach new heights during the 2021/22 campaign.

However, the amount of funds made available to him may depend on whether Morris is able to sell the club to a prospective buyer in the coming months.