Derby County have had plenty of ups and downs in the last 20 years, with a number of players coming and going from Pride Park. 

The Rams are currently playing their football in the Championship, and narrowly avoided relegation into the third-tier, after they survived on the final day of the 2020/21 season, after an entertaining 3-3 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

The days of playing in the Premier League will feel like a distant memory to plenty of the club's supporters, and they'll be eager to see their side make a positive start to the new league campaign, which gets under way in August.

We take a look at the top-ten English players that have played for Derby County in the last 20 years.

Find out which player is first up on the list at number ten, on the next page....

Fikayo Tomori is the first player on the list at number ten, with the former Derby County loanee making 55 appearances for the club, whilst on loan from Chelsea.

Tomori didn't have much experience under his belt in senior football with the Rams at the time, but made a positive impact for them, whilst under the management of former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.

His efforts weren't quite enough though, as Derby missed out on promotion into the Premier League, after a defeat to Aston Villa in the Championship play-off final in the 2018/19 season.

Tomori is still contracted with Chelsea, but is making a name for himself out on loan with AC Milan this term.

Jayden Bogle is in at number nine, with the right-back catching the eye with a number of strong performances for the Rams.

Bogle came through the club's academy system, and went on to make 90 appearances for the Derby County first-team. His spell with the Rams wasn't a lengthy one though, with Bogle's strong performances not going unnoticed.

He played his part in Derby's run to the play-off final in the 2018/19 season, but they missed out on promotion into the Premier League after a defeat to Aston Villa in the Championship play-off final.

Bogle did get his move to the top-flight though, as he went on to sign for Sheffield United in September 2020.

Malcolm Christie is in at number eight, with the former Derby County forward first signing for the club in 1998, after arriving from non-league side Nuneaton Borough, where he was also a shelf-stacker alongside his time in football.

He made 121 appearances in total for the Rams whilst they were in the Premier League, and scored 33 goals for Derby, before departing in 2003, as he moved to Middlesbrough for a seven-figure fee.

His most memorable moment with Derby is likely to be the winning goal he scored against Manchester United at Old Trafford in May 2001, which secured their Premier League survival for another season.

Christie finished his playing career with Leeds United in 2009, after spending one season with the Whites, where he struggled for consistent game time.

Rob Hulse is at number seven, with the former Derby County man making 96 appearances for the club in total.

He had previously played for the likes of Leeds United and Sheffield United earlier in his career, before making the move to the Rams in 2008.

Hulse adjusted well to life with Derby County as well, and scored 31 goals in total for the club, before departing in 2010, as he went on to sign for QPR.

Hulse announced his retirement from professional football in 2013, which brought an end to a 15-year spell in the sport, with plenty of moments to remember.

Will Hughes is next up, with the former Derby County midfielder catching the eye with a number of impressive showings in his time with the Rams.

He burst onto the scene with Derby's first-team, after coming through the club's academy system earlier in his career. Hughes was part of the Derby team that narrowly missed out on promotion into the Premier League in the 2013/14 season, after a defeat to QPR in the Championship play-off final.

Hughes departed the club on a permanent basis in 2017, as he went on to sign for Watford, which is the club he's still playing for to this day.

He has played his part in Watford's promotion-winning season this term, whilst under the management of Xisco Munoz.

Chris Martin is in at number five, with the former Derby County forward being a regular for the Rams over the years.

He first signed for the club in 2013, having previously been on the books with Norwich City and Crystal Palace earlier in his career. He went on to make 226 appearances in total for the Rams, and scored 76 goals and was on hand to provide 38 assists.

Martin departed on a permanent basis in 2020, and is currently playing his football for fellow Championship side Bristol City.

He is capped at international level for Scotland, but was born in England, and represented the Three Lions at youth level earlier in his career.

Dean Sturridge misses out on a place in the top-three, with the former Derby forward coming in at number four on the list.

He started his career with Derby back in 1991, and spent nearly a decade with the club, and put in a number of strong performances for the Rams.

His strong performances earned him a move to Leicester City in 2001, and he went on to spend under a year with the Foxes, before heading to Wolves.

Sturridge called time on his playing career back in 2007, after a spell with Kidderminster Harriers.

Mason Mount is the first name in the top-three, with the midfielder spending a season on loan with Derby County in the 2018/19 campaign.

The midfielder arrived on loan from Chelsea, and with limited experience in English football at a senior level, having spent a season on loan with Dutch side Vitesse earlier in his career.

Mount adjusted to life well with Frank Lampard's side, as he scored 11 goals, and was on hand to provide six assists from his 44 appearances in all competitions.

That season ended in disappointment though, as Derby missed out on promotion after a defeat to Aston Villa in the play-off final.

Mount has gone on to establish himself as a regular for Chelsea's first-team, and is likely to be named in the England senior side for the upcoming European Championships.

Seth Johnson is at number two on the list, with the former Rams midfielder having two separate spells with the club during his career.

Johnson caught the eye with some impressive performances for Crewe Alexandra in the early stages of his time in football, and that good run of form didn't go unnoticed.

He was signed by Derby County in 1999, and spent two years with the club before moving to Yorkshire-based Leeds United.

But he return to Pride Park in 2005, and spent another two years with the Rams, which included playing his part in the club's promotion-winning campaign.

Michael Johnson is at top-spot on the list, with the former Derby County centre-back signing for the club back in 2003.

Johnson had previously been on the books with Birmingham City, where he made over 250 appearances for the Blues, before making the move to Pride Park.

The defender established himself as a regular in the Derby starting XI, and made 148 appearances in total for the club, before departing in 2008.

He called time on his playing career in 2009, after a brief spell with Notts County reached a conclusion.