Derby County defender Alex Pearce has said that his side showed some "very encouraging signs" in their 1-0 win over German side Meppen this evening.

The 26-year-old centre-back joined the Rams from Reading over the summer, and made his debut for Paul Clement's side in the win.

"It's good to get my first 90 minutes under my belt; getting your fitness levels up is what pre-season is all about," Pearce told the club's official website.

"That aside, there was some very encouraging signs tonight. We are improving game by game and I felt we improved on the last game tonight.

"It was our second clean sheet in a row, so from a defender's point of view, that is very pleasing."

Pearce is a Republic of Ireland international, with two goals in six appearances for his country.