Because of the Olympics, the former Sydney FC man won't train with Derby over the next month and will miss the club's opening one or two leagues games against Doncaster and Bristol City.

But Zadkovich, 22, is confident his friends and fans from the south coast of NSW will see him playing in a Derby shirt soon after that.

"I'll be super-fit after the Olympics campaign," Zadkovich told au.fourfourtwo.com.

"I've got boys who've bought tickets already so there'll be a few Bulli boys coming to support me. They're all buzzing.

"They're real working class people down there. They support me and I support them.

"I've got a few mates and they're going to be heading over to watch me play at Derby. They're all pumped."

Zadkovich is one of nine new players so far through the door at Pride Park with Liam Dickinson, Martin Albrechtson, Paul Green and Nathan Ellington just some of the new Rams Paul Jewell hopes will propel the club back up to the EPL.

Derby began pre-season last week and plays its first friendly game this Friday in Holland against TOP Oss.

"It's a brilliant club with fantastic facilities and great supporters," added former Notts County player Zadkovich

"They'll get back in the premier league, whether it's an instant thing or it takes time it's hard to say, but they're a massive outfit, so it's an honour to be playing for them."

Zadkovich, a keen surfer, says he'll just have to get used to an English lifestyle without waves when he leaves his mates to move there next month.

"Obviously they're going to be rubbing it when they're over here catching waves but I'll be rubbing it in when I'm playing in front of 30,000," he said. "It's going to be brilliant."