Derby County fell flat with Man City transfer - Rams never saw what Celtic FC did | OneFootball

Derby County’s loan signing of Patrick Roberts from Manchester City flattered to deceive after previously flourishing at Celtic

Derby County thought they had landed a game-changer in Patrick Roberts from Manchester City, but his loan spell proved to be far more forgettable than fantastic.

When Derby County secured the loan signing of Patrick Roberts from Manchester City in January 2020, on face value, it looked to be a solid piece of business that was very low risk but could bring high reward.

A few seasons prior to his arrival at Pride Park, Roberts dazzled in Scotland for Celtic, where he spent three years of his early career. The reputation he carried of being a fearless, tricky winger who could change a game in an instant, was the type of player that Derby fans hoped they were getting, but instead his time in the East Midlands proved to be anything but that.

Once spoken about as one of England's brightest young prospects a decade ago, his time with Derby County didn't live up to expectations and could never replicate the form he showed in the Scottish Premiership.

Roberts’ time at Pride Park fizzled out almost as soon as it began.

Patrick Roberts was a high-profile loan that never clicked at Derby County

When making the move to the East Midlands, on paper, the loan deal for Roberts was exactly the type of transfer that Championship clubs dream of. Especially for a club like Derby who at the time were fighting for their place to stay in the division.

Roberts starEed at Celtic, winning three league titles in a row and was a key part of those sides under manager Brendan Rodgers. His dribbling ability to glide past defenders at easemade him look like a player destined to thrive wherever he went.

Yet, Derby never got close to seeing that version of him.

Despite being brought in to be that creative spark as well as provide that end product, Roberts struggled to make an impression in Derbyshire. In his half-a season with the Rams, Roberts featured in 15 league games, but his impact was minimal, with just one goal and one assist in his spell.

Instead of being the key creator of chances, Roberts failed to make enough of an impression to keep him around beyond the end of the season. There were flashes of skill, and of the player Derby thought they had signed in the short-term, but little consistency and rhythm in his performances, which led to his Derby days ultimately going down as a disappointment.

For a player once viewed as Manchester City’s rising star, his output when at Pride Park was a long way short of expectations.

Patrick Roberts to Derby County was a move overshadowed by what he’d done at Celtic

Despite not hitting the ground running for Derby County, it would be fair to cut Roberts some slack as his early years in his professional career were rather turbulent.

After his triumph in Scotland, a brief spell in Spain with Girona, as well as at other EFL clubs, Norwich and Middlesbrough, before moving to Derby, meant that the winger could never really get settled post his Celtic days. Constant movement in a geographical sense is likely to reflect on the pitch, which for Roberts it did.

However, what made the disappointment most palpable for Derby was the contrast in performance levels from his days with Celtic. For three years, Roberts was valued as a vital cog in the Scottish giants' machine. He played with an air of confidence and freedom, which saw him contribute to 44 goals in 78 appearances, helping drive the club to silverware and earning a reputation as one of the Scottish Premiership’s standout performers.

In the Black and White of Derby County, that confidence never surfaced. Roberts couldn’t recreate what he’d shown north of the border and instead, the Rams got a version of him that had much more to give.

Ultimately, Derby had hoped Roberts would be a creative difference-maker in the highly contested second tier, but in the end, the move became an example of a loan that was perhaps the right player at the wrong time, as he went onto play a big role in the rise of Sunderland for four years, resulting in their promotion to the Premier League last term.

For Derby, they never got to see the best of Patrick Roberts, but Celtic certainly did.