In an incredible story, it has emerged that the 25-year-old right-back
absented himself from Rams training duty today and travelled to France
in order to partake in a trial with Marseille.
It is believed
that OM initially approached Derby with an offer to take the player on
loan, on completion of a cursory trial period.
The player, for
whom Derby are prepared to listen to offers, is valued at £2million by
the Championship club and as such, they refused to release the player
and dismissed the offer as ‘laughable’.
Club manager Paul
Jewell (pictured) met with Mears to discuss the offer and both player
and manager decided against the opportunity.
However, it has
now emerged that the defender took it upon himself to go to France
without the expressed permission of his club and will face disciplinary
action as a result of his jaunt.
Paul Jewell fumed: “To jump
on a plane and go and train with another club without permission is an
absolute disgrace and an afront to Derby County and the supporters. I
have dealt with a lot of things in football but this is incredible.”
Jewell
described the offer from the Champions League participants, and
revealed that club chairman Adam Pearson had received a fax regarding
the player on Thursday.
“Tyrone came to see me about 4pm yesterday and I said to him ‘are you willing to go on trial and he said no’.
"He
is an established player, why should he go on trial? He wouldn’t go on
trial to a club in this country, something he agreed with.
"I said I’d see him at training today and now this has happened.”

Derby County defender Tyrone Mears has been fined six weeks' wages after having an unauthorised trial with Marseille in August.
The 25-year-old has since gone on loan to the French club until January.
Manager Paul Jewell told BBC Radio Derby: "He was fined for going without our permission, leaving the country and not reporting for training."
Jewell said the fine was not as high as the £75,000 figure reported and Mears has got six weeks to appeal.
Mears joined Derby from West Ham last season and appeared 25 times as the Rams suffered Premier League relegation.