Derby County must be looking at Plymouth Argyle with sheer envy: View | OneFootball

Morgan Whittaker has been one of the stars of the Championship season, with 17 league goals to his name for a newly promoted Plymouth Argyle side.

The 23-year-old joined the Pilgrims for a club-record £1 million deal in the summer from fellow second tier side Swansea City, after impressing on loan at the start of the 2022/23 campaign at Home Park.

Things could have been so different for the rising star though, who emerged through Derby County’s academy system before moving to Wales for a £700,000 fee in 2021.

Rams will rue missed opportunity

Whittaker had always been hotly tipped as a young product for the Rams, with 31 goals and 13 assists in his 53 appearances for the U18s, but found regular game time hard to come by in the early days of his career.

A flurry of substitute appearances was all he was afforded as he turned professional - with a solitary goal scored in Derby’s 3-1 victory over Birmingham City on the final day of the 2019/20 season - before leaving the club the following January.

Whittaker made up for lost time with a goal on his debut for the Swans - a consolation strike in a 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City - before once again finding it hard to find his place in the starting lineup at his new employers.

A promising loan spell at Lincoln City was enough to tempt Argyle into a move for the left-footed wizard in the summer of 2022; where he went from strength to strength during an initial loan spell in Devon - netting nine goals before being recalled in January.

Russell Martin just couldn’t find the same tune that Steven Schumacher had done with the attacker though, and when summer came calling the Greens broke the bank to secure the return of the fans’ favourite.

Pilgrims’ record transfer deal has been worth every penny

With one of the smallest budgets in the division, Argyle have to be shrewd with their transfer business, and Whittaker is an embodiment of money well spent, especially in the current market.

With a left foot as powerful and precise as his, the 23-year-old already has plenty of admirers from the Premier League, with Brentford and Fulham said to be keen on a move, while Italian giants Lazio reportedly had a bid rejected as the January transfer window came to a close.

What Derby County would do for a player of Whittaker’s ability right now; someone who can change a game in an instant.

The step up in division has only added to the opinion that Whittaker is the real deal; with his ability to find the net from all manner of angles and distances, as well as his vision to unlock defences, proving vital in Argyle’s flamboyant displays since returning to the second tier.

A goal on the opening day of the season against Huddersfield was a sign of things to come, before a hat-trick against Norwich City in September really set his season alight.

Nine goals in his last 11 league games have helped Ian Foster’s side pick up valuable points to keep the relegation zone at arm’s length so far this year, while Rams fans have had to look on as their academy prospect impresses on a higher stage.

Derby County boast vast number of academy talents

Whittaker isn’t the only star to come through the ranks in recent years at Pride Park, with Jason Knight making the move to Bristol City in the summer, after making his breakthrough in 2019.

The 23-year-old has made the move up to the Championship look seamless, with three goals in his 33 appearances in the league, including the opener in the recent 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough.

Max Bird is another who has made the move to Ashton Gate earlier this year, although we will have to wait to see how he performs after being loaned back to the Rams for the remainder of the season.