The 2023–24 season was the 140th season in the history of Derby County and their second consecutive season in League One. In addition to the league, the club also competed in the FA Cup, the EFL Cup and the EFL Trophy.
After a slow start to the season which saw the pre-season promotion favourites eight points off of the promotion places with a third of the season gone, Derby's form improved and a mid-season run of 14 wins from 19 games between late-October and mid-February took them into second place and the automatic promotion spots, a position they would not relinquish. A 2–0 home win over already-relegated Carlisle United on the final day of the season confirmed the club's first automatic promotion in 28 years and saw them return to the Football League Championship at the second attempt. Along the way, the team set club records for points in a season (92, eclipsing the 85 achieved in 2013–14) and most away wins (13, eclipising the twelve away wins in 2004-05 and 2006-07), and equalled the club record for most wins in a single league campaign (28, matching that of the 1955–56 season).
Squad at the end of the season
No. Name Position Nationality Date of birth (age) Previous club Date signed Fee Contract end Goalkeepers 1 Joe Wildsmith GK Sheffield Wednesday 2 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 13 Scott Loach GK Chesterfield 13 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 31 Josh Vickers GK Rotherham United 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2026 Defenders 2 Kane Wilson RB Bristol City 11 July 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 3 Craig Forsyth LB Watford 1 July 2013 £150,000 30 June 2024 5 Sonny Bradley CB Luton Town 7 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 6 Eiran Cashin CB Academy 1 January 2022 30 June 2027 20 Callum Elder LB Hull City 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2026 24 Ryan Nyambe RB Wigan Athletic 19 September 2023 Free 30 June 2025 34 Jake Rooney CB Burnley 8 August 2022 Free 30 June 2026 35 Curtis Nelson CB Blackpool 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 41 Daniel Cox CB Academy 1 July 2022 30 June 2024 46 Adisa Osayande CB Academy 13 July 2023 30 June 2025 Midfielders 4 Conor Hourihane CM Aston Villa 6 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 8 Max Bird DM Bristol City 1 February 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 12 Korey Smith CM Swansea City 16 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 16 Liam Thompson DM Academy 1 January 2022 30 June 2024 17 Louie Sibley CM Academy 1 January 2020 30 June 2024 22 Tyrese Fornah CM Nottingham Forest 25 August 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 23 Joe Ward RM Peterborough United 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2026 26 Darren Robinson DM Dungannon Swifts 1 July 2021 Free 30 June 2024 32 Ebou Adams CM Cardiff City 31 January 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 36 Ben Radcliffe DM Burton Albion 7 July 2023 Free 30 June 2024 38 Cruz Allen CM Academy 1 July 2023 30 June 2026 42 Adebayo Fapetu CM Arsenal 1 July 2021 Free 30 June 2024 Forwards 7 Tom Barkhuizen LW Preston North End 2 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 9 James Collins CF Cardiff City 13 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 10 Martyn Waghorn CF Coventry City 7 August 2023 Free 30 June 2024 11 Nathaniel Mendez-Laing RW Sheffield Wednesday 2 July 2022 Free 30 June 2026 14 Conor Washington CF Rotherham United 7 July 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 19 Tyreece John-Jules CF Arsenal 25 August 2023 Loan 31 May 2024 25 Dwight Gayle CF Stoke City 19 February 2024 Free 30 June 2024 27 Corey Blackett-Taylor RW Charlton Athletic 22 January 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 43 Tony Weston CF Rangers 1 August 2023 Free 30 June 2024 45 Lennon Wheeldon CF Academy 1 July 2022 30 June 2024 Out on loan 39 Dajaune Brown CF Academy 1 July 2022 30 June 2026 Includes all players who made at least one competitive appearance during the season
Transfers In DatePosPlayerTransferred fromFeeRef 1 July 2023 LB Callum Elder Hull City Free Transfer 1 July 2023 CB Curtis Nelson Blackpool Free Transfer 1 July 2023 GK Josh Vickers Rotherham United Free Transfer 1 July 2023 RM Joe Ward Peterborough United Free Transfer 7 July 2023 CB Ryan Bartley † Crystal Palace Free Transfer 7 July 2023 CB Sonny Bradley Luton Town Free Transfer 7 July 2023 DM Ben Radcliffe † Burton Albion Free Transfer 7 July 2023 CF Conor Washington Rotherham United Undisclosed 11 July 2023 RB Kane Wilson Bristol City Undisclosed 18 July 2023 CM Bradley Johnson † Milton Keynes Dons Free Transfer 1 August 2023 AM Charlie Lindsay † Rangers Free Transfer 1 August 2023 GK Lewis Ridd † Ipswich Town Free Transfer 1 August 2023 CF Tony Weston † Rangers Free Transfer 7 August 2023 CF Martyn Waghorn Coventry City Free Transfer 25 August 2023 CM Tyrese Fornah Nottingham Forest Undisclosed 1 September 2023 RM Alex Gibson-Hammond † Nottingham Forest Free Transfer 19 September 2023 RB Ryan Nyambe Free agent Free Transfer 23 January 2024 RW Eno Nto † Notre Dame Fighting Irish Free Transfer 19 February 2024 CF Dwight Gayle Free agent Free Transfer
† Signed for Under-21s
Out DatePosPlayerTransferred toFeeRef 29 June 2023 DM Krystian Bielik Birmingham City Undisclosed 30 June 2023 CM Osazee Aghatise Free agent Released 30 June 2023 RB Rhys Brailsford Barwell Free Transfer 30 June 2023 LB Demico Burton Free agent Released 30 June 2023 CB James Chester Barrow Free Transfer 30 June 2023 CF Bartosz Cybulski King's Lynn Town Free Transfer 30 June 2023 CB Curtis Davies Cheltenham Town Free Transfer 30 June 2023 CM Connor Dixon Ilkeston Town Free Transfer 30 June 2023 GK Harrison Foulkes Eastbourne Borough Free Transfer 30 June 2023 LB Will Grewal-Pollard Alfreton Town Free Transfer 30 June 2023 CM Olamide Ibrahim Free agent Released 30 June 2023 LB Cian Kelly Free agent Released 30 June 2023 AM Sonny Blu Lo-Everton Yeovil Town Free Transfer 30 June 2023 CF David McGoldrick Notts County Free Transfer 30 June 2023 GK Alfie Roberts Free agent Released 30 June 2023 CB Harrison Solomon UNH Wildcats Free Transfer 30 June 2023 CB Richard Stearman Solihull Moors Free Transfer 11 July 2023 CM Jason Knight Bristol City Undisclosed 1 February 2024 DM Max Bird Bristol City Undisclosed
Loaned in DatePosPlayerLoaned fromDate untilRef 25 August 2023 CF Tyreece John-Jules Arsenal End of Season 1 September 2023 AM Elliot Embleton Sunderland 10 January 2024 1 September 2023 LB Henry Jeffcott † Arsenal End of Season 22 January 2024 RW Corey Blackett-Taylor Charlton Athletic End of Season 31 January 2024 CM Ebou Adams Cardiff City End of Season 1 February 2024 DM Max Bird Bristol City End of Season † Signed for Under-21s
Loaned out DatePosPlayerLoaned toDate untilRef 5 July 2023 RB Kwaku Oduroh Rochdale 10 January 2024 3 August 2023 CF George Nunn Mickleover 2 October 2023 4 August 2023 GK Harry Evans Coalville Town 31 August 2023 21 September 2023 CF George Nunn Braintree Town 21 October 2023 21 September 2023 CF Owen Oseni Nuneaton Borough 1 January 2024 13 October 2023 GK Harry Evans Barwell 14 February 2024 2 November 2023 CF George Nunn Hampton & Richmond Borough 1 January 2024 14 November 2023 CM Jack Bates Hastings United 14 December 2023 21 November 2023 RM Alex Gibson-Hammond Buxton 1 January 2024 26 December 2023 GK Lewis Ridd Mickleover End of Season 12 January 2024 AM Charlie Lindsay Glentoran End of Season 18 January 2024 RB Callum Moore Matlock Town 15 February 2024 23 January 2024 CF Dajaune Brown Gateshead End of Season
Pre-season and friendlies On 19 May, Derby announced their first pre-season friendly, against Matlock Town. Less than a week later, a second fixture was confirmed against Stoke City to celebrate Craig Forsyth's association with the club. On June 1, a trip to face Chesterfield and a visit from Sheffield United was added to the pre-season calendar. A training camp in Alicante was also confirmed along with a fixture against Salford City.
Competitions Overall record
League One
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Matches On 22 June, the EFL League One fixtures were released.
FA Cup
Derby were drawn away to Crewe Alexandra in the first round.
EFL Cup
Derby were drawn at home to Blackpool in the first round.
EFL Trophy
In the group stage, Derby were drawn in Northern Group G alongside Lincoln City, Notts County and Wolverhampton Wanderers U21. They were then drawn at home to Fleetwood Town in the second round and Bradford City in the third round.
Statistics Goals record
Rank No. Nat. Po. Name League One FA Cup EFL Cup EFL Trophy Total19FWJames Collins 1400519211FWNathaniel Mendez-Laing 91001037FWTom Barkhuizen 61018417MFLouie Sibley 4003710FWMartyn Waghorn 700068MFMax Bird 600064MFConor Hourihane 510085DFSonny Bradley 300036DFEiran Cashin 30003DFCraig Forsyth 300025FWDwight Gayle 300014FWConor Washington 30002DFKane Wilson 30001419FWTyreece John-Jules 1001235DFCurtis Nelson 200023DFJoe Ward 20001732MFEbou Adams 1000112MFKorey Smith 100016MFLiam Thompson 100043FWTony Weston 0001Own Goals 10001Total 78301192
References