Derby County quickly forgot Nottingham Forest ties in electric spell | OneFootball

Tom Ince struggled on loan at Nottingham Forest, but he quickly found a home at Derby County where he flourished.

The rivalry between Derby County and Nottingham Forest is fierce, so there is a spotlight on any individual who represents both sides of the East Midlands divide.

That brings extra pressure, and not everyone can be like the legendary Brian Clough, who managed to become a hugely popular figure at Derby and Forest following his remarkable achievements in the dugout.

Generally, though, playing for two rivals can be a difficult experience, as you will often need to hit the ground running in order to get your new supporters on side.

Tom Ince found his best form at Derby County following tough Nottingham Forest spell

One player who did just that was Tom Ince, with the winger having joined Derby in February 2015, having spent a few months of the first half of the campaign on loan at bitter rivals Forest.

Admittedly, with Ince contracted to Hull City at the time, this wasn’t a case of him jumping ship to join Derby, but it was certainly a talking point among the respective fan bases.

At the time, you would’ve understood if Derby fans were underwhelmed by Ince’s arrival, as he had failed to find the net in seven appearances for the Reds, whilst his time with the Tigers in the Premier League hadn’t gone to plan.

Yet, for whatever reason, Ince immediately settled with the Rams, and over the next two-and-a-half years, he would play the best football of his career in terms of consistency.

Steve McClaren was in charge when Ince initially joined Derby, and he quickly became a hugely influential figure in the XI with his ability down the right flank.

Whilst many opponents knew what the former Blackpool man could do, it was another thing to stop him, and with Derby boasting the likes of Will Hughes, Jeff Hendrick and Johnny Russell, among others, with Chris Martin as the focal point, they were a joy to watch.

That stylish brand of football suited Ince’s game, and he was part of what was a very exciting Rams team over the next few years.

In total, he managed 11 goals in 18 games after joining on loan, so it was no surprise to anyone that Derby made keeping Ince a priority in the summer of 2015, with a permanent move to Pride Park finalised ahead of the new season.

Tom Ince and Derby County will rue promotion failure

Over the next two years, there were plenty of changes in the dugout at Derby, with Paul Clement, Darren Wassall, Nigel Pearson and even a return for McClaren in that period.

Yet, one consistent remained, with Ince continuing to contribute, as he found the net 12 times and 14 times, whilst also registering 13 assists over those two years.

It wasn’t just Ince’s productivity that made him so popular at Derby, as he really did produce some memorable moments in a white shirt.

Sadly, the overriding feeling for Ince and all his teammates in this spell will be one of regret, as Derby just couldn’t make the next step by winning promotion to the Premier League.

Given the quality in the ranks, the Rams should’ve been capable of winning promotion, but the closest they got was a play-off semi-final defeat to Hull City.

Due to his form, top-flight interest was inevitable in Ince, and he did secure a move to Huddersfield in the summer of 2017, but, in truth, Ince has not reached the levels he had shown for Derby since he left the East Midlands.

His time with the Terriers was just one season, with the winger then going on to play for Stoke, Luton and Reading before he joined current club Watford.

Of course, Derby have had plenty of woes since Ince’s exit, although they can finally look up as a club once again after they were on the brink. The challenge for John Eustace is to build a team that can reach the play-offs, and having an individual like prime Ince in the XI would certainly help on that front.

After his poor spell with Nottingham Forest, most connected to Derby didn’t know what to expect from Ince when he joined, but he quickly dismissed any concerns about his performances on the pitch, and he will be remembered as one of the better wingers the club had in the modern era.