Derby County never got what Preston North End did with international striker - He was a Rams flop | OneFootball

Jon Macken couldn't replicate his magic at Preston during his short stint at Pride Park

Jon Macken was one of the more prolific strikers in the EFL in the late 1990s and early 2000s, due in part to his success at Preston North End.

The one-time Republic of Ireland international always had the potential to hit the ground running once he left Manchester United in 1997, and whilst at Deepdale, he enjoyed the best moments of his career.

Under David Moyes, Macken led the line as Preston earned promotion from the third tier to the old First Division in the 1999/2000 campaign, scoring 22 times in 44 games. Then, he took to the second tier like a duck to water, netting a further 19 goals in 38 games the following campaign as they reached the play-off final against Bolton Wanderers in May 2001.

Being able to score a goal every other game over the course of two seasons is no mean feat, and after picking up a couple of Player of the Year awards with the Lilywhites, he'd more than earned the opportunity to play in the Premier League with Manchester City, who were well on track for promotion when he arrived at Maine Road in 2002 with just a handful of games left to play in the second tier campaign.

Unfortunately, injuries derailed his time at the Citizens, and he wasn't able to find that form again for the rest of his career. However, there was some hope that, when he returned to the Premier League with Derby County, he could rediscover that form which made him a £5 million player back in 2002.

It wasn't to be at Pride Park for Macken, though, and his few Derby appearances marked the final time he played in the top flight in his career.

Jon Macken's brief and uneventful time at Derby County

The free transfer signing of Macken by Derby in January 2007 was a low-risk, high-reward one, having departed Crystal Palace on a free transfer.

The Rams were battling at the top of the Championship table, and despite it being around five years since the striker was netting regularly in the second tier, a few goals would have provided a big boost to their promotion hopes.

In the limited time Macken had on the pitch at Pride Park, however, he wasn't able to make an impact, providing just one assist in eight league appearances, and a run of two wins in their final six saw the Rams concede their place in the top two to Birmingham City.

Derby were promoted through the play-offs eventually, but despite starting both of their semi-final legs against Southampton, Macken didn't appear at all at Wembley.

That was some grim foreshadowing, as the then-30-year-old wasn't in Billy Davies' plans, and he'd be loaned back to the Championship with Barnsley in November.

The 2007/08 campaign for the Rams is well-documented, as their 11-point tally still remains the lowest in Premier League history. Macken did actually play a small part in it upon his return to the club in January, but he likely wouldn't mind it if his three substitute appearances in losses to Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, and Wigan Athletic were forgotten.

Back to Barnsley he went, this time for a six-figure fee, which meant Derby actually made transfer profit on his services, and at Oakwell he was able to get back playing regularly again, before seeing his EFL career out with Walsall in League One.

Jon Macken could never regain momentum from Preston North End spell

Ultimately, Macken enjoyed a lengthy career in the EFL, which had sprinkles of Premier League football in it, but there'll always be a 'what if' perched over it, if the prolific frontman had stayed fit during his time at Manchester City.

After joining the Blue side of Manchester for £5 million in March 2002, Macken scored five in eight to help the club secure promotion to the Premier League. However, injuries meant that he played just five times in his first top-flight season.

The Manchester native was unable to fully recover from that, missing 23 league games the following campaign, and a further 18 the year after. In the end, his Premier League record read two goals in 46 appearances, but it really could have been much more.