Derby County will be looking to bounce back strongly in the upcoming campaign after a disappointing and testing season in 2020/21. 

The Rams narrowly avoided relegation, securing safety via a 3-3 draw on the final day, but still face the threat of a retrospective points deduction.

It's been a difficult period for Derby fans, to say the least, but if Wayne Rooney is given some support in the transfer market by the club then you feel some positive results on the pitch could help turn things around – particularly if fans are allowed back in Pride Park.

We're still a little more than five weeks away from the start of the 2021/22 EFL season but we've got something for Rams supporters to dig their teeth into.

Some players just always seem to have success against the East Midlands club and we've scoured Transfermarkt's records to bring you 10 players Derby County seemed to hate playing against from over the years.

Warning, this might bring back some bad memories...

We're rolling back the years to start with former Leeds United and Scotland midfielder Peter Lorimer.

Lorimer's 17-year spell with the Whites saw him have great success – winning multiple titles and bagging 219 in his 616 appearances for the Yorkshire club.

The Scotsman seemed to know how to get the better of the Rams as well, with his 16 appearances against them seeing him find the net 11 times.

It didn't matter whether it was the First Division, FA Cup, or League Cup, Lorimer always seemed to score against Derby.

Though, the East Midlands club should feel no shame given what a legend he was for Leeds.

Back to the current day, Birmingham City target man Lukas Jutkiewicz is another player that Derby seem to have hated playing against over the years.

No matter which club he's played for, the Rams have been a team that he's always had success against – scoring 10 times and adding one assist across 16 games against them.

Jutkiewicz's first meeting with Derby saw him score for Coventry City in a 2-1 win in the 2010/11 Championship season, while in his most recent fixture against them he bagged a brace to ensure Birmingham took all three points.

Wayne Rooney will no doubt be hoping he doesn't have the same sort of success for the Blues this season.

Given he has more than 400 Championship appearances to his name, it's perhaps no surprise that David Nugent has caused Derby some real problems over the years.

Nugent is, of course, a familiar face to the Pride Park faithful as he spent two years at the club between 2017 and 2019 but he seems to have always thrived when he's come up against the Rams.

The experienced striker has scored nine times and added four assists in his 19 meetings with the East Midlands club.

He's out of contract at the moment and Derby will likely be hoping he doesn't sign for a Championship rival.

Michael Chopra is unlikely to be a particularly popular figure at Pride Park, given his record against Derby and his brief spell with East Midlands rivals. Nottingham Forest.

The 37-year-old scored seven times in 12 appearances against the Rams, including playing a pivotal role in a 6-1 hammering in 2009/10.

Cardiff City ran riot against Derby in the Welsh Capital in September 2009, with Chopra scoring four times – including a second-half hat-trick.

There were likely some at the club breathing a sigh of relief when he retired in 2017.

He's now in charge of Championship rivals Birmingham City, steering them to a 2-1 victory against the Rams late last season, but Lee Bowyer enjoyed facing the club in his playing days as well.

Bowyer, a central midfielder by trade, took on Derby 17 times in his playing career – finding the net on seven occasions and adding an assist.

Whether it was for Leeds United or West Ham United, he often seemed to relish games against the club and wasn't a stranger to a yellow card in those games either.

Derby fans will likely be hoping Rooney can get some revenge by beating the Blues twice this season.

Shane Long looks out of favour at Southampton and Derby fans may be hoping that he doesn't drop back into the Championship next season.

The Republic of Ireland striker always seems to find form when he comes up against the Rams and often comes out on the winning side.

Seven goals in nine games is quite the record, with the majority of those coming during his time at Reading.

At 34, Long may be in the twilight of his career now but you certainly wouldn't bet against him scoring at least once more against the Rams – particularly if he finds himself back in the second tier in 2021/22.

Another Republic of Ireland international, Derby will have been happy to see the back of Kevin Doyle when he hung up his boots in 2017.

Doyle faced the Rams 10 times in his career, suffering defeat just once, and scoring seven times in total.

The striker even bagged twice during the notorious 2007/08 Premier League season as he helped Reading take six points off relegation-bound Derby.

The Royals went down alongside the East Midlands club that season and the following year he put a brace past them in a 3-0 win.

Luckily for the Rams, he's not someone they have to worry about anymore.

Derby may not have to concern themselves with Doyle these days but Billy Sharp is someone they need to be aware of heading into the 2021/22 Championship campaign.

Sheffield United are back in the second tier and the 35-year-old could well have a role to play as they look to bounce back to the Premier League.

He'll certainly be excited about the prospect of playing Derby again, having scored seven times and added three assists in 14 appearances against them.

It would not be a surprise to see him increase that tally this season, with his first opportunity to do so going to come in September.

Derby fans won't be surprised to see Robert Earnshaw's name on this list but it's likely to make him even less popular at Pride Park.

After a disappointing time with the Rams, the Wales international joined rivals Nottingham Forest in 2008 – not a move that was ever going to go down well!

He'd go on to help the Reds have success against the Rams – scoring five goals for them in East Midlands derbies.

All in all, Earnshaw bagged seven goals and an assist in 12 appearances against Derby.

They'll no doubt have been happy to see the back of him.

Given the time he spent at Manchester United, it's perhaps no surprise that Dwight Yorke has a good record against the Rams.

However, he was scoring goals against them before he made the to Old Trafford as well.

Whether it was for Aston Villa or the Red Devils, Yorke seemed to have his shooting boots tied firmly on when he came up against the Pride Park outfit.

He faced Derby 11 times – scoring seven times and adding an assist.

Yorke's only defeat against the club came at the Baseball Ground in 1997, with Gary Rowett and Robin van der Laan adding both goals.