Derby County came out victorious when they took on local rivals Nottingham Forest at the weekend, with left-back Markus Olsson netting the only goal of the game at the iPro Stadium.

It handed Derby some much needed confidence as they look to hunt down the Sky Bet Championship’s top two and will look to use Saturday’s win as a platform for the rest of the season.

After spending over £25 million on their first-team squad in the summer, many people had tipped Derby to be right at the top of the league challenging for the title, but it simply hasn’t turned out like that.

The Rams are still capable of defeating anyone on their day however and you certainly wouldn’t back against them going on a run which would put them right in the mix for a top two finish.

Football League World’s Lee Clarke took a look at FIVE players who have been key men for the Rams during the current campaign, and who may well be important players between now and the end of the season.......

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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE FIVE PLAYERS!

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George Thorne

Although the ex-West Bromwich Albion man has missed a large chunk of the season through injury, his presence back in the side has contributed with Derby’s results picking up.

The box-to-box midfield man is an important cog in the Derby County system and the youngster is one to watch for the future.

A Premier League player in the making, Thorne has been a crucial player for the Rams this season, with his contributions sorely missed when injured earlier in the campaign.

The 23-year-old has featured 27 times for the Rams during the current campaign with a goal in the FA Cup against Manchester United a particular highlight.

Scott Carson

One of the Rams’ unsung heroes during the 2015/16 campaign is former England goalkeeper Scott Carson.

The ex-Leeds United stopper has provided the sort of experienced goalkeeping that you would expect from a team in the higher regions of the Championship, and has added a calming influence to the defensive unit.

Whilst Lee Grant is a fairly solid goalkeeper, he does have an error in the locker and Carson possesses much more reliability between the posts.

Every promoted side in years gone by have been blessed with a steady goalkeeper and that is one area in which the Rams are well stocked ahead of an automatic promotion push, during the final eight games of the season.

Tom Ince

The 24-year-old has arguably been the Rams’ standout performer during the current campaign and has netted ten goals so far during the season.

The ex-Liverpool trainee has been utilised in a familiar wide position and as a more central attacker at times during this season, with his skills and flair being his two main attributes.

Much of Derby County continuing their push towards the top two will be dependent on the form of Ince between now and the end of the season.

The Rams man has already featured in the Premier League during his time with Crystal Palace and he will be eager to return to the top flight with Derby during this season.

Chris Martin

Whilst this season hasn’t been quite as memorable in the way of goals for Martin, he remains an integral part of how Derby County play.

Martin has a fight on his hands to reach the 20-goal mark for a third successive season and currently has just 13 to his name – ordinary by his usual prolific standards.

The big striker offers so much more than goals though and his hold up play is probably the best in the Championship, whilst his ability to bring others into the game is also an effective tool for the Rams.

Jacob Butterfield

A few eyebrows were raised when ex-Rams boss Paul Clement parted with £3 million for Huddersfield Town midfielder Butterfield, but his performances have soon quashed any doubts about his credentials to play for Derby County.

Butterfield has found himself out of favour under current boss Darren Wassall which is surprising considering the seven goals he has netted from midfield so far this season.

The 25-year-old is still learning his trade in the game really and the Rams look to have got themselves a player who has the ability to go all the way to the Premier League.