Cameron Jerome took his time to adjust to the club, but eventually found his form.

The 31-year-old joined the Rams from Norwich City in January. He struggled at the start with just one goal in his first 15 appearances. However, he found form at a key period because he scored five goals in the last five games. These helped the Rams finish in the play-offs, and the goals came against tough opponents such as Derby and Aston Villa.

Jerome even gave Derby fans hope of reaching the Play-Off Final because his goal allowed them to come away with the win against Fulham in the first leg of the semi-finals. It wasn't meant to be, though, as the Cottagers put in a stunning performance to win 2-0 at home and took that form into the final with a 1-0 victory over Villa.

This is what Jerome had to say about his adjustment to the club to RamsTV: "I wasn’t as fit and as ready to go as I would have liked, but in terms of trying to help the team and having an impact towards the end of the season, I was glad I could help out in that way.

It’s a bigger adjustment than I thought to be honest. Over the summer, you usually have a bit of time to bed in and you have the friendly games to help you get used to how your new team plays, your team-mates’ strengths and vice versa, your team-mates get to learn your strengths.

It was more difficult than I thought it would be, a bigger transition than I imagined, but it is the same for everyone that moves in January."

The Verdict

Jerome's surge of form near the end of the season is a good sign because that came once he settled into the side, so he should be able to replicate that next season. They will need someone to replace Matej Vydra's goals if he decides to leave in the summer and Jerome could do that.

The main issue for Jerome is that he has only just adjusted to Gary Rowett's system and now he will have to change for a new manager, but that is where his vast experience comes in handy. Next season is likely to be tough because new players are unlikely unless they sell a key player, so they will be heavily reliant on the players already at the club to replicate or even exceed last season's form.