Frank Lampard's stint at Derby County is a reminder of happier times at Pride Park.
Far from talk of administration and relegation, Lampard's sole season at the Rams saw him take the club to the Championship play-off final. Aston Villa would be the victors on the day at the national stadium and the speed at which Derby have unravelled since is hard to comprehend.
Lampard spent big money, relatively speaking, during his time at Derby and it is telling that so many of his signings left on free transfers at the end of their Pride Park deals. Martyn Waghorn, Florian Jozefzoon and Jack Marriott are such examples, with the club's financial state in part down to an inability to sell players on for more than they were bought.
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Here, we look at how the 12 players Lampard signed for Derby got on in DE24...
Martyn Waghorn
'Waggy' was signed from Ipswich Town in August 2019 for around £5 million after a year at Portman Road and left Pride Park for Coventry City in the summer upon the expiry of his contact. The former Rangers man netted 13 goals, including a hat-trick, under Lampard but managed only 17 goals in the following two seasons.
Often played out of position, Waghorn was the Rams' top goascorer in 2019-20 with 12 goals. Last season he was the hero on the final day, scoring twice in a 3-3 draw with Sheffield Wednesday to keep Derby in the Championship but he only netted five times all season when Wayne Rooney's side needed more from him.
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Hit or miss? MISS.
Jack Marriott
Marriott became a fan favourite for his two-goal heroics in the play-off semi-final against Leeds United in 2019. However, overall he struggled for form during his time at the club.
The former Peterborough United man didn't fit the profile of striker that either Lampard's successors Phillip Cocu or Rooney wanted to use in their system. He played just 86 times across three seasons at Pride Park and scored 17 times.
Hit or miss? MISS.
Florian Jozefzoon
Jozefzoon's career at Pride Park was just bizarre. He dazzled in a 17-minute cameo in the 2019 play-off final defeat to Villa at Wembley with fans hopeful for the following season under compatriot Cocu.
Jozefzoon was signed from Brentford the year before and contributed a grand total of three goals and two assists during his time at Derby. He spent most of the second half of the 2019-20 campaign on the sidelines and the following season on loan at Rotherham United.
Hit or miss? MISS.
Harry Wilson
Don’t miss
Wilson was a star for the Rams during Lampard's reign, his goals and assists firing them into the play-off final. The Liverpool loanee managed 15 strikes and six assists and netted some fantastic efforts along the way.
Free-kicks against Manchester United, Sheffield United and Stoke City stand out while his late show in a 2-0 win at home to Queens Park Rangers put Derby on course for the top six. He earned a move to the Premier League but was relegated with AFC Bournemouth and is now eyeing a return to the top flight with Fulham.
Hit or miss? HIT.
Duane Holmes
Holmes was signed from Scunthorpe United, making the jump from League One back to the Championship. Despite impressing under Lampard and Cocu, he struggled last season and left for Huddersfield Town.
He registered six goals and six assists during his time in the Midlands. "I want players who give everything for the cause and who fight for the team," Rooney said.
Hit or miss? MISS.
Ashley Cole
Cole was brought in to provide cover at left-back in January last year with Malone, another summer signing, the club's only fit player in that position. Marcus Olsson and Craig Forsyth were recovering from serious knee injuries at the time.
Cole contributed two assists in a defeat of Bolton Wanderers and a draw with Birmingham City in the run-in to the play-offs. Had to fill in for Malone in the play-off final and struggled against Villa and is currently at Lampard with Everton.
Hit or miss? MISS.
Fikayo Tomori
Tomori was Derby's 2018-19 player of the year and is still highly regarded by fans. The England international struggled in a 4-1 defeat to Leeds United on debut but quickly improved.
He made 56 appearances during his time at Derby, netting once - in the crazy 4-3 win at Norwich City. Tomori went straight into Chelsea's first team upon his return to Stamford Bridge but moved to AC Milan with his performances at the San Siro earning him a call-up to England's senior team.
Hit or miss? HIT.
Andy King
King arrived on the final day of an underwhelming January 2019 window, signing on loan from Leicester City. He managed just four appearances in the Championship before suffering an ankle injury in a defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Since his Derby exit, he has had spells with Rangers and Huddersfield Town and is now with Bristol City. King never really got chance to have an impact at Derby.
Hit or miss? MISS.
George Evans
Evans arrived from Reading, Lampard knowing him from during his time at Manchester City in 2014. The midfield man suffered a knee problem on debut in August 2018 after a promising start against Ipswich.
He has found life tough since, but made an encouraging comeback against Bournemouth at centre-back last season where he looked most comfortable He joined Millwall in January last year.
Hit or miss? MISS.
Scott Malone
A surprise signing, Malone arrived from Huddersfield Town in 2018 and offered competition at left-back. The 28-year-old from Rowley Regis fell out of favour under Cocu, though, registering just 19 minutes of football for the Rams in 2020.
With Lee Buchanan and Forsyth jostling for the left-back position, Malone was allowed out on loan and joined Millwall. He joined Gary Rowett's side on a permanent deal in the summer.
Hit or miss? MISS.
Mason Mount
Another who was regularly serenaded by the Rams faithful, Mount earned himself hero status at Pride Park. The England international netted 11 goals and assisted six during his time at Derby and his absence was noted when he picked up a hamstring injury at Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup.
He followed Lampard back to Chelsea and has become a hero there, too. He set up Kai Havertz for the winner in the Champions League final in May.
Hit or miss? HIT.
Efe Ambrose
We'll never quite know what Ambrose could have brought to the Rams, on the pitch at least. The former Celtic man arrived on a free transfer from Hibernian as cover for the club's centre-backs.
It was clearly beneficial for Ambrose, though, who has spoken of enjoying his time under Lampard. An utterly pointless signing as far as Derby are concerned, though, given he couldn't even get on the bench at Pride Park.
Hit or miss? MISS.