Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County share this transfer discontent: View | OneFootball

While there's no doubting creative midfielder Jacob Butterfield's talents, his time at both Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County was disappointing.

Key Takeaways

34-year-old midfielder Jacob Butterfield now plies his trade in the National League with Gateshead, joining the Heed over the summer from sixth-tier Scunthorpe United.

The creative player has spent much of his career much higher up the pyramid, however, though his time at both Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County won't be looked back on too fondly by all concerned.

Starting as a youngster with Manchester United, before heading to Barnsley, Butterfield has moved around a lot during his 17-year career to date. A regular in and around the second tier for many years, the bustling former England Under-21 international has played for some notable clubs, either on loan or permanently.

Spells at Norwich City, Middlesbrough, Huddersfield Town, Derby, and Luton Town were punctuated by loan moves to Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield Wednesday, and Bradford City.

Butterfield's pedigree and ability has always been clear, but it's fair to say he excelled far more at some clubs than others, and Rams and Owls fans didn't see the best of the midfielder during his time in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire between 2015 and 2019.

Reported £5m price tag seemed to faze the player at Derby

Bradford-born Butterfield burst onto the scene with Barnsley in 2007, his infectious effervescence immediately making him a fans' favourite, with an ever-growing influence on the Oakwell side's fortunes.

While he never fully settled in subsequent spells with Norwich, Bolton and Crystal Palace, Championship club Middlesbrough took a chance on the player, paying an undisclosed fee to take the midfielder to Teesside in 2013.

While his form at Boro was steady, it was his time at Huddersfield Town during the 2014/15 campaign that saw Butterfield really shine; performing well consistently and looking like one of the Championship's top midfielders.

His form, which saw him voted the Terriers Player of the Year, attracted the attention of many clubs at that time, with Derby winning the race, paying a substantial fee - thought to be over £5m - for Butterfield's services.

It's at this point that the midfielders' form flat-lined a little. He struggled to recapture the levels he'd reached previously, and County fans grew frustrated that their expensive purchase wasn't hitting the heights they hoped for.

Eventually, in 2017, Butterfield was involved in a 'loan swap' that saw him move to Sheffield Wednesday for the 2017/18 campaign, with striker Sam Winnall heading the other way.

Again, Butterfield struggled to get going at Hillsborough, where he failed to be the creative influence the Owls were looking for, with many games passing him by.

While Butterfield went on to feature in Australia with Melbourne Victory, before returning to the UK to turn out for St Johnstone, Scunthorpe and now Gateshead respectively, supporters of County and Wednesday will be left wondering why they didn't get to see anywhere near the best of Butterfield's enigmatic talents.

While supporter frustration at players' form is understandable, there are many factors that can affect how a player does at a particular club.

Settling into the area, and being comfortable off the pitch is one such consideration, as is fitting into the team's structure and style. Some players flourish under a particular manager or tactical approach.

There have also been plenty of occasions where a significant fee and high expectations has seen players fazed and go within themselves, looking a pale shadow of the individual that had impressed previously.

There was little doubting Butterfield's ability to compete and flourish at the top end of the Championship. There were, however, question marks over his consistency throughout his career, and while it's worth remembering the above factors when judging, it's fair to say Derby and Sheffield Wednesday were left underwhelmed by the midfielders' time at the respective clubs.