Derby County nearly sneaked £100m+ jackpot with the help of Chelsea and Liverpool | OneFootball

The Rams strongly utilised the loan market under Frank Lampard

The 2018/19 Championship season was full of highly-rated performers that would eventually go on to make a name for themselves, and Derby County were a huge part of that.

After missing out on a return to the Premier League under Gary Rowett in the 2017/18 play-off semi-finals at the hands of Fulham, the Rams would go in a completely different direction, appointing former Chelsea and England icon Frank Lampard, in what was the ex-midfielder's first managerial job.

Unsurprisingly, Lampard's appointment generated plenty of hype and discourse regarding how the East Midlands side would operate in the transfer market and perform across a gruelling 46-game season and beyond, with the Londoner handed a three-year contract at Pride Park.

And, whilst Derby were unable to end their exile from the top-flight under his management, they came almighty close and that was, in no small part, down to their boss' pre-established connections at Stamford Bridge, as well as another impressive loan capture from Liverpool.

Harry Wilson, Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount all excelled on loan for Derby

Lampard's first game in charge came in a 2-1 victory away to Reading, in which Cobham prodigy, Mason Mount, netted his first senior goal to level the scores, in what was a sign of things to come from the attacking midfielder in Black and White and throughout the early stages of his career.

Fikayo Tomori and Harry Wilson were also extremely well thought of in the developmental stages of their respective careers too, and after being teammates for a six-month period at Hull City, where the Welsh winger initially showcased his talent with seven goals in 13, the duo would link up once again, this time for the Rams.

Derby had a nice blend of youth and experience throughout their ranks throughout the campaign, but it's safe to say that it could have panned out extremely differently had it not been for Wilson and Mount in particular, who were responsible for 31 of the 69 goals scored throughout the regular season, as well as playing their part in the dramatic turnaround against Leeds United in the play-off semi-finals.

The duo accumulated a total of 41 goal contributions across all competitions between them, with Mount netting a hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers, as well as producing a top-quality performance in a 6-1 demolition of Rotherham United in DE24 whilst Wilson wasn't afraid to aim for the spectacular as proven against West Bromwich Albion, Swansea City and his 30-yard free-kick against Manchester United in the EFL Cup.

"I don't think I've seen a better free-kick, ever," said former Rams striker, Darren Bent.

Tomori, meanwhile, was a mainstay at the back, making 55 appearances in all competitions, forming a strong partnership with the vastly experienced Richard Keogh.

Derby County were unable to hit Premier League jackpot with loan stars

The 2019 play-off final between the Rams and Aston Villa proved to be a real 'sliding doors' moment for both sides, especially when taking into consideration the seasons which followed, as Derby missed out on a golden sum of at least £170m, which instead went to Villa Park.

Jack Marriott, who was as influential as Mount and Wilson were in the dramatic Elland Road comeback, looked to stage a late fightback from Lampard's men, but goals from Anwar El Ghazi and John McGinn, who capitalised on a mishap from Kelle Roos, proved the difference. Derby have since failed to trouble the play-off places in the Championship, falling into League One with a 21-point deduction and the threat of liquidation just three years later before regaining their second-tier status in 2024.

As for their loan stars, Tomori and Mount continued to flourish under Lampard the following season as he took charge of Chelsea amid a transfer ban, and they are currently enduring mixed fortunes for AC Milan and Manchester United, whilst Wilson has proven a valuable asset for Fulham since leaving Anfield permanently, winning the second-tier title in 2021/22 before proving his worth as a steady top-flight performer.