Derby County: Moment v Nottingham Forest etched South American into Rams cult hero folklore | OneFootball

The striker spent a year-and-a-half with the Rams between January 2008 and July 2009.

Supporters of Derby County will never forget the dismal, record-breaking 2007/08 Premier League campaign, one that saw their team relegated back to the Championship with just 11 points.

No other club has ever finished a Premier League season with fewer points than the Rams did over 16 years ago, and they have not returned to the division since.

It was a campaign that was destined to fail from the start, with the East Midlands club struggling to make key improvements to their squad in the summer transfer window. The signings that were made were not fit for purpose, and Billy Davies was forced to start the season with one hand tied behind his back.

The January window offered slight promise, with Derby already looking at a quick exit from the top flight. While they did not find the players they needed to put up a fight against the relegation that was always coming, they did bring in a striker whose connection with supporters would remain for years after.

Emanuel Villa struggled for goals in the Premier League

Paul Jewell was brought to Pride Park in November 2007 to try and stop the rut that the Rams found themselves in. However, he seemingly made things worse - losing 19 of his 24 Premier League matches, drawing the other five.

He brought in Argentinian striker Emanuel "Tito" Villa in January 2008 for £2m, hoping that he could fire in the goals that were so desperately needed, but he was not able to provide that for the former Wigan Athletic saviour.

The then 25-year-old scored in just his fourth appearance in black-and-white, netting a rare late equaliser against Birmingham City to take Derby's points tally to nine for the season in their 25th game.

It took another two months for Villa to score once again, this time hitting a brace against Fulham in a 2-2 draw at Pride Park. The Rams had to beat the Cottagers to keep their status as a Premier League club intact, but his strikes were not enough and Jewell's side were relegated earlier than any other club in the league's history.

The striker failed to score again in England's top flight, and after being brought to the club almost as a last resort, he was about to prepare for a campaign in the Championship.

Villa fired himself into club folklore against Nottingham Forest

There was a six-month gap between Villa's last Premier League goal and his first in the Championship, and it proved to be a bit of a false dawn when he headed home in the 89th minute against QPR to secure a 2-0 win in September 2008.

The Rams were still having difficulties, despite being relegated to a lower division, and Villa was feeling the pressure.

Nevertheless, the visit of Nottingham Forest shortly after offered them a reprieve, as the East Midlands derby saw form go out of the window.

It was a tight and extremely tense affair. The two clubs had not met in nearly four years, but things did not go well for the home side in the first half an hour as Rob Hulse was forced off through injury. That allowed Villa his moment in the spotlight, one that he did not take at first.

The Argentinian forward turned into his own net after the ball deflected back off him following a strong save from Stephen Bywater, handing Forest the lead in front of the away end at Pride Park, and Derby had work to do.

He made up for it by equalising just over 10 minutes later, securing his name in folklore, and becoming a cult hero in the process. Kris Commons whipped in a delightful free kick that landed at the feet of Villa, who easily prodded the ball past Lee Camp.

The game was overshadowed by late drama involving referee Stuart Atwell, who disallowed a goal for the hosts, awarding them a penalty instead, one that was saved.

Nevertheless, Rams fans will never forget their South American striker, who may not have provided the moments that he wanted to be on the pitch, but he has remained in the hearts of the Pride Park faithful ever since.

It is a mutual respect that goes both ways, with Villa himself posting on X in 2022 just how much he still loves Derby.