Derby County struck gold with Hull City transfer, it was perhaps Gary Rowett's best | OneFootball

Curtis Davies signed for the Rams ahead of the 2017/18 campaign, and became something of a club icon.

Derby County were one of the favourites for a top six finish heading into the 2017/18 season, with Gary Rowett looking to help the team that he had once played for back to the Premier League after nine years away.

The Rams quickly set about in the summer transfer window to strengthen in their manager's first full season in charge at Pride Park, with Andre Wisdom, Tom Huddlestone and Tom Lawrence all joining to help with that push.

However, it was the signing of Curtis Davies from Hull City that was perhaps their best from the first few months of the campaign, with the centre-back quickly adding experience and leadership to his new team's backline.

The then 32-year-old signed on for just two seasons, and at that time, he may have not even realised the impact that he was going to have on the club in the coming years.

Davies' first season was a sign of things to come

Arriving off the back of Hull's relegation back to the Championship from the Premier League, it was clear that Davies had more than enough quality to be a starter for the Rams, and he went on to play all but seven minutes of the regular campaign.

He instantly struck a great partnership with Richard Keogh, and the two proved formidable with Scott Carson behind them in goal.

Rowett's style of play was all about being strong in defence, and offering his opponents very few opportunities to score, and Davies settled in extremely well, despite his team's slightly inconsistent start.

Nevertheless, over the Christmas period, Derby started to prove themselves as promotion contenders. They kept 11 clean sheets in 14 games between the end of November and the start of February, pushing themselves into the top two.

Although they suffered a drop in form late in the season, the East Midlands club did reach the play-offs, where they were beaten by Fulham across two legs, with the Cottagers running out 2-1 winners on aggregate.

Davies continued to impress under different managers

Rowett left Pride Park in the summer of 2018, joining Stoke City. Frank Lampard took over the role that was left, and quickly set about bringing in his own players, including Fikayo Tomori.

The 2018/19 campaign was an incredibly difficult one for Davies, and he suffered from injuries throughout, including a season-ending blow in November when he ruptured his Achilles.

He had signed an extension until the end of the 2019/20 season when Lampard first arrived in DE24, and he would once again become a key player for Derby, this time under Philip Cocu.

Richard Keogh's injury and sacking for his involvement in a car crash between Mason Bennett and Tom Lawrence saw Davies return to the starting XI, this time with the captain's armband, and he was a key figure in ensuring that the team progressed up the table after a rocky start.

Due to reaching a certain number of appearances, the centre-back triggered a year extension on his contract, securing his future for yet another year, but another Achilles rupture saw him out of action for nearly six months.

Davies is still fondly remembered by supporters

Despite many thinking his season was over, Davies returned to the bench for the final game of the 2020/21 campaign, as the Rams survived relegation against Sheffield Wednesday in a 3-3 draw.

Wayne Rooney's side had struggled throughout the year, but got the job done on the final day with his then 36-year-old centre-back signing a waiver to come off the bench due to the extent of the injury that he had suffered.

It was clear that Rooney valued Davies, and he returned for his fifth season at Pride Park, one that would see the club gutted by administration. He was one of the few experienced players in a very young team that fought against a 21-point deduction, and were relegated with three games to go.

Although the future was uncertain for the Rams, the former Hull man continued to be part of the furniture, signing on almost immediately after the club was saved by David Clowes in July 2022.

It was the first time in almost 20 years that the defender had played in League One, and this was perhaps the first year when his age had slowly caught up with him. Davies struggled at times under Paul Warne, and his career at Derby ended with a red card after he gave away a penalty against the Owls that ultimately stopped his side from reaching the play-offs.

However, it cannot be understated just how important he was to the club during his time, and few players have had the same impact that he has had in the 21st century. Rowett, despite leaving five years prior to Davies, made a fantastic decision in signing the centre-back, and it was one that the Rams reaped the benefits of for over half a decade.