Derby County well and truly hit the jackpot with £150k transfer - he's still providing value | OneFootball

Craig Forsyth truly is Mr. Derby County and still plays a vital role under John Eustace.

Derby County's Craig Forsyth turned out to be a steal of a signing and is still giving the Rams a return on their £150k investment today.

In 2013, Derby County made the signing of Craig Forsyth from Watford, which has gone down as one of the club's most 'value for money' signings in their history, and certainly one of Nigel Clough's best as Rams boss at the time.

The Scottish defender joined the Rams in March 2013, at first on loan from Watford but was later that year made permanent due to his impressive start to life in Black and White.

Craig Forsyth has battled through serious injuries throughout his Derby County days

In a deal for a reported £150,000, Forsyth was originally signed as a left midfielder, which was his natural position in his early days when playing for Scottish sides Dundee, Montrose, and Arbroath, but was converted to a full-back in which he has gone on to have an outstanding career.

Since his arrival, Derby have had an up and down journey in the EFL, but one part of their team that has always remained a constant is Forsyth's presence in the Rams defense.

The reliability and stability he has given every manager throughout his time in the Midlands is a testament to his hard-work and dedication during his 13+ years at the club.

After having an impressive first couple of years for Derby, the now 36-year-old had to deal with a couple of major injury setbacks which threatened to take his career off course.

Two ACL injuries in 2015 and 2016 made it difficult to see a future at Pride Park for Forsyth, especially due to Derby being forced to bring in replacements for him.

Marcus Olsson and Stephen Warnock came in the door at Pride Park in order to fill the void left by Forsyth, as well as the promising Max Lowe progressing through the academy, it looked as though the Scotsman's Derby days were numbered.

However, after perseverance to come back stronger, Forsyth continued to be a key asset for the Rams upon his return to action, and he quickly went from a Steady Eddie to one of the Championship's best left-backs.

After a rather underwhelming decade for the Rams, in 2023/24 the club veteran won his first promotion with the club, where he featured 26 times in League One as the Rams finished second in League One behind Portsmouth.

It was clear to see from the celebrations on the final day just how much it meant to Forsyth due to having to come through the hardships of regular injury setbacks.

Craig Forsyth still going strong for Derby County in 2025/26

Earlier this summer in June, the 36-year-old extended his time at Pride Park after signing a new two-year contract running until the end of the 2026/27 season.

Upon the signing of his new deal, it was revealed via the club's Instagram page that they will help Forsyth as he looks to get his badges before he potentially moves into a coaching role when he retires from playing.

As for the present, Forsyth still plays a big role for Derby on the pitch under John Eustace, with the left-sided defender having played 39 times in the Championship last season, where he also bagged three goals and provided four assists as the Rams narrowly avoided relegation by a single point.

He's carried that strong form through into the current 2025/26 campaign, where Forsyth has remained a constant in the Derby backline, starting four of their opening six Championship games, whilst also making two appearances in the League Cup.

In the modern era of football, it’s rare to see a player's career span over such a long period of time at one club, so for Forsyth, he deserves all the plaudits he gets from the Derby faithful due to his long-standing service and unwavering commitment to the club.