Wayne Rooney has admitted his frustration at not being able to play for Derby.
The former Manchester United and England captain is unable to make his debut for the Rams until January, after signing an 18-month contract following his departure from Major League Soccer side DC United.
The visit of Barnsley to Pride Park on January 2 has been pencilled in for Rooney and he insists he is ready.
"It's obviously frustrating training throughout the week and not being able to play," said the 34-year-old.
"Training the day before a game is the worst day as the players don't do too much so it's been one-on-one with the fitness coach today.
"It's frustrating because I am ready to play. I've just really been topping up my fitness and ticking things over since (leaving America) and if the game was tomorrow I would be able to play."
Asked if Derby, currently in 16th and eight points off the Championship play-off spots, can mount a promotion bid, Rooney added: “Yes, without a doubt. There are still plenty of points to play for.”
Rooney joined United in 2004 and stayed there for 13 seasons - winning five Premier League titles, one Champions League, one FA Cup, three League Cups and becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer with 253 goals.
He earned 119 caps for England - a national record for an outfield player - and in 2015 he surpassed Manchester United great Bobby Charlton’s England goalscoring record, ending his international career with 53 goals for his country.
But, despite his glittering career, the striker hopes his new Derby team-mates will treat him like any other member of the squad.
"I'm another person, I've played at the top level which maybe a lot of them haven't," added Rooney.
"But I think once they get to know me, and they get to see me as part of the team, then everything they might have thought about me goes out of the window and they see me for what I am - a normal guy and just one of the team-mates."
