Shock Frank Lampard, Derby County deal involving Chelsea star surprised many - but it fell flat quickly | OneFootball

Ashley Cole didn't have the desired impact during his short spell at Pride Park

The 2018/19 Championship season was, arguably, the most entertaining the second tier had seen in many years, with so many storylines taking place right throughout the division.

Several fallen giants such as Aston Villa, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County all found themselves dreaming of promotion at the start of the season, with all six clubs having a plethora of high-profile players and managers at their disposal.

The off-season prior to the campaign getting off and running was particularly intriguing at Pride Park, with the experienced Gary Rowett making a switch from the DE24 hotseat to join newly-relegated and promotion favourites, Stoke City after guiding the Rams to the play-off semi-finals in his only full season in charge of the club.

Then-owner Mel Morris continued to harbour ambitions of ending the club's Premier League exile which had lasted since the well-documented 2007/08 campaign, although the appointment of ex-Chelsea and England midfield icon, Frank Lampard, showcased that the East Midlands side were looking to head in a slightly different direction in terms of recruitment, vision and increasing their overall stature.

Given Lampard's connections to the Stamford Bridge outfit, it was no surprise to see Derby acquire the temporary services of future England stars in the form of Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount, both of whom were instrumental in yet another exciting campaign in these parts.

However, another short-term addition with ex-West London attachments still baffles those of a Rams persuasion to this day, as they had very minimal impact.

Ashley Cole was initially viewed as a shrewd addition by Frank Lampard at Derby County

Ashley Cole has often been described as the best left-back of his generation when taking in his Arsenal, Chelsea and England exploits into account.

The full-back's presence in both a defensive and attacking sense was ultimately key to title successes in both North and West London, as well as being named in the PFA Team of The Year on four occasions and twice in the UEFA Team of the Year.

After making 337 appearances for Chelsea alongside Lampard under the likes of José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, André Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo — the latter of whom oversaw the famous 2012 UEFA Champions League final success over Bayern Munich — Cole enjoyed stints with Roma and LA Galaxy before moving to Derby in January 2019 on a short-term contract.

Despite having the likes of Scott Malone and Craig Forsyth among the ranks, Lampard echoed exactly why Cole was added to bring further experience to a squad showcasing a nice blend of the aforementioned attribute as well as youthful energy and flair.

“He’s a fantastic player, a quality left-back, and he also brings great experience to the dressing room," he said.

“I’ve made my feelings known over the last couple of days just how highly I think of Ashley and I have no doubt whatsoever he will be a positive addition to our squad.”

Ashley Cole had a minimal impact as Derby County suffered play-off heartbreak

Despite Lampard's words echoing the viewpoint of many at the time, Cole's brief spell in the East Midlands couldn't have been more contrasting in truth.

After making his first appearance in a one-minute cameo against Hull City in February 2019, the veteran full-back netted his solitary goal for the club in a 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup the following week with a well-taken header.

Cole made just nine appearances in the Championship for the Rams, which included two assists against Bolton Wanderers and Birmingham City, but the aforementioned three goal contributions were as good as it got during a brief stint under his ex-Blues teammate.

As the season drew to a close, Cole suffered a groin issue that saw him absent from the squad in the first leg of the dramatic play-off semi-finals against Leeds, before featuring for just one minute in the second leg following Malone's second yellow card at Elland Road.

Therefore, Cole was handed a first start in over a month at Wembley, but couldn't deal with the likes of Albert Adomah, who assisted Anwar El Ghazi for the opener, before John McGinn's second-half goal proved decisive despite Jack Marriott's late consolation.

It would prove to be a frustrating way to end Cole's legacy-filled senior career as the Rams missed out on promotion, as he retired just three months later whilst Lampard took over from Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, Derby haven't returned to such heights as a club since.