Derby County: Wigan Athletic transfer triggered inevitable demise - View | OneFootball

Graeme Shinnie was fantastic in his two-and-a-half years at the Rams but was sold for a nominal amount.

Derby County's 2021/22 campaign was filled with heroes. Unexpected youth stars and seasoned professionals gave supporters hope that the club could overturn a 21-point deduction and survive in the Championship.

One player that had played a key role in the Rams' previous two seasons was Graeme Shinnie, who signed for the club in May 2019 after agreeing a pre-contractual agreement with the Championship side while they were under the management of Frank Lampard.

The Chelsea legend left Derby at the end of the campaign to rejoin the club that he had been at throughout his playing career, with the second-tier side hiring former Barcelona midfielder Phillip Cocu as manager for 2019/20.

After expecting to play under Lampard, it may have come as a shock to Shinnie that just two months after making the decision to move to the East Midlands, he would play under a different boss.

Nevertheless, he was able to fit in quickly at Pride Park and was an instrumental part of the team in the years afterward.

Shinnie excelled in poor Derby teams

The now 33-year-old struggled for fitness on arrival and had to wait until October to make his debut in the Championship, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 win over Luton Town.

Two weeks later, Shinnie opened his account for the Rams, scoring a dramatic late winner against Wigan Athletic at home.

His first year at the club was his weakest and he struggled to maintain his position in the starting XI, playing from the off just 12 times.

However, with football playing behind closed doors for the entirety of the 2020/21 season, the pressure seemed to lift, and the Scot was superb in what was an extremely poor showing from Derby.

Cocu was relieved of his duties with the Rams bottom of the Championship in November 2020, with Wayne Rooney taking over the managerial role on an interim basis, eventually becoming the permanent boss.

Shinnie made 41 appearances in the league, scoring three times as the team narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the campaign thanks to a 3-3 draw against Sheffield Wednesday, a result that sent the Owls down to League One instead of Rooney's side.

Shinnie was sold for a nominal fee due to administration

The 2021/22 season had every right to be a complete disaster for Derby following the club's announcement in September 2021 that they had entered administration. Yet, the management team and players refused to back down.

The Rams clawed back their 21-point deduction relatively quickly, returning to a level state of zero points just days after losing the second half of the deduction (nine points) in November 2021.

Senior players at the club were extremely important in making sure that standards were still met despite the difficult circumstances, and Shinnie proved how much of a leader he was in a 1-1 draw with Coventry City away from home, equalising in front of a rapturous Derby following.

However, things would get worse for the Rams, and Shinnie was sold in January 2022 for only £30,000 to League One Wigan.

According to journalist Alan Nixon on X, the burden of his wages was the reason behind the low fee, with Nixon reporting that the bankrupt club saved £250k on the wage bill for the rest of the season.

But, with Shinnie gone, the Rams lost their leader in midfield and their momentum on the road began to slow.

Although it can be said that Derby would probably have been relegated with the current Aberdeen captain still at Pride Park, he may have extended the battle, and potentially have given them more opportunities to win points away from home.

Without him, they slumped to an inevitable relegation to League One as their frustrating spiral continued – one it has taken years to return from.