Derby County has a history of obtaining and developing some of the most skilled and clinical centre-forwards since its inception in 1884.

The Rams are one of the most historic outfits, not only in English football, but throughout Europe, having been one of the EFL’s 12 founding members, so wearing the ‘number nine’ shirt at Pride Park, formerly the Baseball Ground, carries a great deal of honour, privilege, and responsibility.

In recent months, current manager John Eustace has had huge success on this front despite missing out on a place in the Championship play-offs for 2025/26, with both Carlton Morris and Patrick Agyemang scoring double-figure goals in their respective first seasons in DE24 after joining from Luton Town and Charlotte FC, respectively, while also suffering injury misfortune at various times.

As a result of their expertise and abilities, supporters in this section of the East Midlands will believe their team is in capable hands to build on such foundations when the duo are healthy and firing in the future, though Agyemang is unlikely to debut before late 2026.

It would also be a tremendous accomplishment for any striker to help bring the team back to the Premier League, where they have not been since the 2007/08 season, which is tragically remembered for only 11 points.

However, Derby came close to ending its exile several times in the 2010s, despite the fact that such flaws nearly led to financial ruin.

However, one free move from Norwich City was at the centre of those promotion accusations.

Derby County hit the lottery with Chris Martin’s free transfer from Norwich City in 2013.

Chris Martin, a product of the Canaries’ academy system, made his professional debut for the East Anglian side in January 2007 against Wolves at Carrow Road, albeit it took the centre-forward some time to adjust to life in the first squad.

Indeed, the forward’s major breakthrough came during a loan spell with Luton Town in 2008/09, after Norwich manager Glenn Roeder’s first decision to authorise such a deal was heavily criticised by fans.

However, with City relegated to League One in 2009/10, such circumstances provided a springboard for the future Scotland international, and while he was rarely given Premier League minutes, a tally of 29 goals in 80 appearances was critical in the Yellows’ run of back-to-back promotions under Paul Lambert.

Despite a largely disappointing loan stay at Derby in the second half of the 2012/13 season, the Rams agreed to a free transfer with an initial two-year contract and have basically never looked back.

Martin scored 25 goals in 51 appearances in his first full season in the East Midlands, as his new club suffered the first of three play-off defeats in five years against Queens Park Rangers at Wembley Stadium, and averaged a goal every two games the following year, as Steve McClaren was fired after missing out on the play-offs.

Martin needed some time to find his goalscoring spark the following season, but he still managed to score 15 league goals as the Rams were eliminated in the play-off semi-finals by Hull City, before his career took a turn for the worst.

Chris Martin ultimately struggled to recreate his remarkable goalscoring exploits.

Unfortunately for the experienced forward and Derby, he didn’t exactly live up to the same goalscoring standards for the rest of his time with the club, which lasted until 2020, despite a few mixed returns in several loan spells.

Martin scored 10 goals in 30 appearances for Fulham the following season as they advanced to the play-off semi-finals under Slavisa Jokanovic, but it would be the last time he would reach double figures in a single season for six years, when he did so again with Bristol City in the 2021/22.

He was unable to transfer such exploits into temporary periods at Reading and Hull City, but the aforementioned 12-goal season was by far his greatest in three years at Ashton Gate.

After a last Championship season with Queens Park Rangers in 2022/23, Martin’s career was revived at Bristol Rovers in League One, where he scored 16 goals in 38 appearances before his final season at the Memorial Stadium was cut short due to a knee injury.

As a result, it was evident that his career peaked as a Derby County player, even if the 37-year-old struggled to make the jump back into the Premier League with the Rams.