Derby County have been mightily unfortunate in recent years not to have won promotion to the Premier League, following a string of campaigns where the club has challenged towards the top end of the Sky Bet Championship.
Last season saw the Rams fall short at the play-off semi-final stage, where they were defeated over two legs by Hull City who went onto secure a place in the top flight.
The season prior saw Derby miss out on the top six altogether, whilst in 2014 the club were beaten by QPR in the Play-Off Final, when Bobby Zamora netted a last minute winner to leave the Rams distraught.
The last three seasons have certainly been better than several before, when Nigel Clough over saw a transitional period which saw the Rams languish towards the bottom of the second tier most years.
Over the last 10 years the Rams have secured the services of some quality players and it is only recently that the club has begun to spend excessive amounts on new recruits, with Clough in particular always keen to scour the market for good players on a shoestring budget.
Football League World writer Lee Clarke takes a look at Derby County’s biggest bargain-buys over the last 10 years in the history of the club.
Chris Martin
Striker Martin was plucked from the Crystal Palace fringes by Nigel Clough on a free transfer, quickly becoming one of the most feared marksmen in the Sky Bet Championship.
After a pretty ordinary scoring ratio during a loan spell, Martin was signed permanently in 2013 by Clough who had clearly seen enough in the player to take a chance on him.
Martin netted 52 goals in 121 appearances for the Rams with 25 of them coming during the club’s run to the Play-Off Final in 2014.
Now at Fulham after falling down the pecking order, the Scotland international still ranks as one of the best signings in Derby’s recent history.
Kris Commons
The left-footed magician signed on a free transfer from Nottingham Forest back in 2008 and went onto have three extremely successful years with the Rams.
During his debut season with the club, Commons netted a superb 25-yard free kick against Manchester United in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final – a goal which turned out to the be the winner.
Commons further adhered himself to the Derby faithful that season with the winner in a 3-2 victory over fierce rivals Nottingham Forest, a game in which the Rams came back from 2-0 down to set up a tie with Manchester United in the next round.
The ex-Stoke City man left the East Midlands in 2011 for Celtic and netted 21 goals in 80 appearances for the Rams.
Craig Bryson
The Scottish midfielder is a two time winner of the Jack Stamps Trophy which is awarded to the Derby County Player of the Year at the end of each season and he is a firm fan favourite.
The 29-year-old has made close to 200 appearances for the Rams since arriving in the East Midlands from Kilmarnock in 2011 and he has been an established member of the side since joining for a paltry £400,000.
In 2014 Bryson ensured he will always be in the hearts of the Derby County faithful with a stunning hat-trick in a 5-0 drubbing in the local derby against Nottingham Forest.
Derby County fans, are these three the three best bargains of the last 10 years? Who else should have been given recognition? Let us know in the comments below!!!