Derby County are out to prove the critics wrong this season, says winger Stephen Pearson.

The former Celtic midfielder knows they're automatic favourites to be relegated, but told The Herald: "Promoted teams are always the ones people expect to go down again. But this is where the manager wanted to take us when he took over and we want to stay there now.

"Some people have written us off but, last season, people said we had no chance of going up through the play-offs. It would be nice to go out there and prove a few people wrong."