Derby County: Gary Rowett saw "real value" in Leicester City swoop and was bang on | OneFootball

Gary Rowett brought Tom Lawrence to Derby County in 2017 and he proved an excellent addition over the next couple of seasons

Tom Lawrence's five-year spell as a Derby County player came to an end in the summer of 2022 following the club's relegation to League One, but the Welshman is fondly remembered at Pride Park after making just shy of 200 appearances for the Rams.

Lawrence joined Derby from Leicester City in the summer of 2017, and it proved an inspired move as he nailed down a regular starting berth for the first time after numerous loan spells during his time as a Manchester United player and at Leicester.

Despite only being 23 at the time of signing, Derby was Lawrence's ninth club, but he certainly found a long-term home at Pride Park and played an important role under a number of different managers.

However, it was Gary Rowett who brought Lawrence to the club, with the 50-year-old going through a lot of effort to sign him permanently.

Rowett hoped that Lawrence would add "real value" to the Rams squad, and it's fair to say that the Welshman certainly delivered over the next five years.

Lawrence had spent the 2016/17 season on loan at Ipswich, where he impressed, and Derby forked out an initial £5million to sign him the following summer, a deal which left Rowett very pleased.

After his signing was announced, he said: "It has taken a lot of energy to get this transfer done and, to be honest, I don't think people realise how difficult these transfers are to do.

"I think the deal we have done is a really good one and a really strong signing for us.

"He had a bright season at Portman Road and, at 23, we feel he is someone that can add real value to our team. He has real energy and a verve about him.

"Tom is prepared to take people on and is a throwback to an old winger; he wants to beat people and make things happen. He is very direct and he can score some fine goals from nothing, which we saw last year."

While Rowett was in charge of just one of Lawrence's five seasons as a Derby player, it was certainly a move that lived up to his expectations, and over the course of the next five seasons, he would prove worth every penny of the initial £5 million fee.

He helped the Rams to the play-offs in his first two seasons at the club, finishing sixth in both seasons and registering 14 and 10 Championship goal involvements respectively.

Derby endured some tough seasons in the years that followed under the likes of Philip Cocu and Wayne Rooney, ultimately ending in relegation, but Lawrence's form remained good and his last season at Pride Park was his most impressive.

Another 14 Championship goal involvements followed during the 2019/20 season as Derby finished 10th, before he missed large chunks of the 2020/21 season through injury where the Rams struggled, narrowly avoiding relegation.

Derby were in the midst of their financial struggles during the 2021/22 season and were deducted 21 points, but Lawrence remained at Pride Park and was handed the captain's armband.

Despite the tough circumstances, the Rams and Lawrence performed admirably and would have comfortably stayed up without the deduction, and the Welshman scored 11 goals and registered five assists in the Championship before leaving the club in the summer of 2022 after the expiration of his contract.

Given his five years of service to the club, coupled with his impressive form during the 2021/22 season, no one could begrudge him a move away following relegation, and he certainly brought the "real value" that Rowett hoped for.

2021/22 Derby County form was enough to seal a move to Rangers

It spoke volumes about just how impressive Lawrence was during the 2021/22 campaign for Derby that he sealed a move to Rangers, who had reached the Europa League final in May 2022 and had qualified for the 2022/23 Champions League.

However, things haven't quite gone to plan for the Wrexham-born attacker at Ibrox and injury woes meant he played just nine games in his first season at the club.

Things did improve last season as he played 32 games in all competitions, scoring three goals and registering three assists, and after a bright start to the current campaign, he's now out injured again.

It's a real shame for Lawrence as he had scored five times in 15 appearances this term, including goals in the Europa League against Lyon, but injuries mean he's not played since the end of October.

Clearly, he's still got the talent he displayed at Derby, but with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, it remains to be seen whether he'll still be at Ibrox when the 2025/26 season gets underway.

One thing is for sure, however, and that is that Lawrence was hugely impressive during his time with the Rams, and while Rowett wasn't at the club too long to reap the rewards of his signing, he certainly deserves credit for bringing him to the club.