Derby County were laughing after Rangers FC transfer decision | OneFootball

Derby County signed Malcolm Ebiowei for their academy, and in 2021/22, he became a star at Pride Park.

The 2021/22 Championship campaign is one that will on long in the memories of Derby County supporters, as administration gripped the club, leaving them staring relegation directly in the face, as well as potential extinction.

After years of heavy spending and financial mismanagement, Mel Morris' tenuous ownership of the Rams came to an end in September 2021, as he departed Pride Park - leaving the club without an owner as Quantuma took over as administrators.

It was a moment that will never be forgotten by those associated with the East Midlands outfit, and what followed was one of the most intense, topsy-turvy, exciting seasons in the club's 142-year history.

With Manchester United and England legend, Wayne Rooney, in charge of the Championship side, Derby needed stars on the pitch as a 21-point deduction left the Rams languishing at the bottom of the league table for much of the year. However, during this time, new heroes were born, with academy stars taking responsibility among a handful of seasoned pros, including one who had joined the club just a week prior to administration.

Malcolm Ebiowei made a name for himself at Derby County after Rangers decision

Malcolm Ebiowei left Rangers at the start of September 2021 and made his way to the Championship. He had come through the academies of Arsenal and Chelsea, but was yet to play a senior game and the 18-year-old expected to spend another year in development football.

However, with Derby entering administration, and signings limited, the winger started to make his way onto Rooney's radar. He made the bench against Birmingham City in a 2-2 draw on January 30 2022, and just a week later the teenager would get his first opportunity.

Ebiowei came off the bench in a 3-1 victory over Hull City at Pride Park, and in the following weeks, his head coach would entrust him with more chances to prove himself in the Championship. Eventually, Rooney gave the former Rangers man his full debut, and he was excellent in a 2-0 win over Barnsley, with his quick feet and intelligent body movement too much for the Tykes to handle on the right flank.

In the final 11 games of the season, the London-born ace would start in every single match, picking up his first assist against Bristol City before scoring his first career goal against Blackpool in Derby's final away game of 2021/22. While the club could not avoid relegation, Ebiowei helped give supporters belief that the unthinkable could just happen.

Malcolm Ebiowei never hit the same heights after Derby County exit

After such a successful season with the Rams, interest in the winger started to rise, and Crystal Palace won the race to sign the young star that summer.

Ebiowei featured for the Eagles on the opening day of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign in a 2-0 loss to Arsenal. While he would play twice more for the South London side, he would return to the Championship soon after, signing on loan for Hull City.

The Tigers were managed by Liam Rosenior, Rooney's former assistant at Derby, but the teenage sensation never reached the same heights as he did with the Rams. Moves to RWDM in Belgium and Oxford United followed before he made the permanent switch to Blackpool in the summer of 2025.

However, just a month later, his contract was terminated by the Tangerines, and he remains without a club ever since. Ebiowei's career will always be one big 'What if?' And, there will always be those who wonder where his career would have led him if he remained with Derby.