Derby County supporters may have an eye on Watford for one reason: View | OneFootball

Festy Ebosele came through the Rams' academy, but has now joined the Hornets on loan from Udinese.

Derby County supporters have been lucky to have seen some fantastic players come through the academy at Moor Farm in recent years.

The likes of Jeff Hendrick, Liam Delap and Will Hughes have all gone on to play in the Premier League since leaving the club, with the former even playing European football during his time at Burnley.

However, the 2021/22 season brought in new blood that, while inexperienced, gave Rams fans some fantastic days supporting their team despite relegation to League One due to administration.

One player who had a significant role in that campaign was Festy Ebosele. The Irishman featured in 37 games for the team in all competitions during that year, scoring twice and picking up two assists from right-back and right-wing.

However, after such a successful showing in the Championship, he was signed by Italian club Udinese and has since gone on to make 50 appearances for the club. Yet this season, the 22-year-old finds himself back in the second tier of English football with Watford, joining the club on loan for 2024/25.

Ebosele was a raw talent at Derby

There was much unknown about Derby's squad heading into the 2021/22 campaign, and they had to rely on the late additions of new and old players ahead of their first game against Huddersfield Town.

Ebosele, who had made his debut the year prior, was given a more senior role in the team after making just four appearances in senior football before the season had even kicked off.

Nevertheless, supporters were treated to electric performances from the right-sider over the course of the next nine months, and although at times it was obvious that he was young and raw, he quickly adapted to professional football under the guidance of Wayne Rooney.

Rooney himself deserves a lot of credit for the way he integrated younger players like Ebosele into the team, and he was so close to being rewarded with Derby narrowly missing out on avoiding relegation, despite a 21-point deduction.

The then 19-year-old's best performance came in a 3-1 home win over Hull City. He scored a fantastic goal on his right-foot, tearing past the Tigers' defence before receiving the ball from Tom Lawrence and smashing it past Matt Ingram.

Derby fans will be keen to see how Ebosele progresses

At 22, Ebosele is at a critical point in his development, and working under Tom Cleverley will only help.

The Watford manager has enjoyed a successful start to his time as the permanent manager of the Hornets, and playing in a team that could compete towards the top of the league will be a new experience for the loanee.

Now back in the Championship for the first time in two years, Rams supporters will be keeping an eye on their academy graduates, particularly with Ebosele due to return to Pride Park in January for the first time since he left.

There are possibly still regrets around Derby that they were not able to keep hold of the young superstar, but with the offer he was given by Udinese, it is no wonder why he chose to move to Italy.

Derby this season rather than the yellow-and-black of Watford.