Ranking the 7 best players to ever play for both Nottingham Forest and Derby County | OneFootball

Football League World ranks seven top players who’ve represented both Derby County and Nottingham Forest.

Few rivalries in English football are as emotionally charged as the East Midlands derby between Derby County and Nottingham Forest.

Separated by just 15 miles and connected by the A52, now fittingly named the Brian Clough Way, the two rivals have a shared history unique among any footballing rivalries.

The two sets of supporters have stood at odds, but their respective histories have been shaped by the two characters, with legendary manager Brian Clough leading Derby to their first ever league title in 1972, before guiding Forest to unprecedented European glory in the same decade.

Clough was not the only man to cross the divide, and Football League World ranks the seven best players to have played for both the Rams and Forest based on the peak of their footballing powers.

The most modern example of all on this list, Kris Commons scored 44 times for Forest between 2004 and 2008, and provided real flashes of brilliance as Forest achieved promotion back to the Championship in his final season at the club.

He would then go on to make the switch to Derby in 2008, where he became a fan favourite, particularly due to his exploits against Forest.

The Scottish attacking midfielder would score 29 times for the Rams before his departure in 2011, with his peak years following away from the East Midlands entirely.

Between 2011 and 2017, Kommons scored 82 times in 177 appearances for Celtic before retiring from professional football in 2017.

6 John McGovern

John McGovern may not have had the absolute raw talent possessed by others on this list, but he was the ultimate team player.

Between the years of 1975 and 1982, his peak came as Forest captain, with the hard-working midfielder thriving under Clough and lifting back-to-back European Cups.

He joined up with Forest in 1975 after being a victim of Clough's controversial spell with Leeds United that lasted just 44 days. McGovern's reputation at Leeds would be tarred by the influence of Clough, with the legendary manager bringing the midfielder in after a successful spell at Derby.

"When I arrived at Elland Road after leaving Derby County, I found out I was unwanted by anybody at the club, and it was a very difficult time for me," said McGovern in 2013. "I spent about six months at Leeds not being involved in the squad, and even in those days they used to have the players' names on the back of the squad tracksuits."

"Well, I was there six months and I never got a tracksuit with my name on the back of it. I think that was a big hint from the club that I didn't really belong there."

A two-time PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1975 and 1976, Colin Todd was one of England's finest defenders throughout the 70s.

Under Clough, Tood helped Derby win the First Division title in his first full season at the Baseball Ground, and collected a second title medal under Dave Mackay in 1975.

He made 293 appearances for Derby between 1971 and 1978 before a move to Everton. And while his time at Forest between 1982 and 1984 came after his peak years, the standards that the defender set during his time in the East Midlands were incredibly high.

4 John Robertson

Widely regarded as one of Forest's greatest ever players, John Robertson was renowned for his exceptional dribbling and creativity out wide.

He was a key figure during the golden years at Forest under Clough, assisting the winning goal in the first of two back-to-back European triumphs.

The winger made 386 appearances and scored 61 goals for Forest between 1970 and 1983, before joining Derby for a less impactful spell at the twilight of his career.

After three goals across 72 appearances for the Rams, Robertson would rejoin Forest on a free transfer in 1985, where he would make 11 appearances before retiring from professional football a year later.

Archie Gemmill was one of the players fortunate enough to play under Brian Clough on both sides of the battle lines. His midfield excellence saw him help the Rams to the First Division title in the 1971/72 season.

And after seven years at the Baseball Ground with Derby, he became the third ex-title winner at Derby to join Forest under Clough in 1977.

He was integral to Forest's success in the late 1970s, picking up a league winners' medal after his first season. However, he was dropped for the 1979 European Cup final, with the midfielder saying in 2007: "I was devastated at the time. I was led to believe I'd be playing in the match... I was far from happy. I hated every minute of the 90 and I hated afterwards as well."

Gemmill played 43 times for Scotland, scoring eight goals while captaining the side on 22 occasions.

Saunders was electric during his years at Derby. In 1988/89, he scored 17 First Division goals for the club despite their eventual relegation, and earned what was then an English-record £2.9 million move to Liverpool in 1991.

The Welshman, however, struggled to last long at any of his 12 clubs, with his three years at Derby and Swansea being the longest period spent with a single side.

Saunders joined Forest in 1996, and despite his best years being in the past, he netted five goals for the Garibaldi. And while he did not achieve the same level of success for both clubs that others had, Saunders was a phenomenal player at the peak of his powers and deserves a place high on the list for his periods with Derby, Liverpool, and Aston Villa.

1 Peter Shilton

At his peak with Nottingham Forest, Peter Shilton was arguably the best goalkeeper in the world.

Playing for the Garibaldi between the years of 1977 and 1982, he was the backbone of Clough's European Cup-winning side.

Making over 1000 career appearances, Shilton goes down as arguably England's greatest goalkeeper of all time, and he continued to set incredible standards after he moved back to the East Midlands with Derby County in 1987 following a spell on the south coast with Southampton.

He went on to make 175 appearances for the Rams before moving to Plymouth Argyle in 1992. Shilton retired in 1997 after a spell with Leyton Orient at the age of 47.