Derby County: Martyn Waghorn & Rams may both regret Pride Park reunion | OneFootball

Martyn Waghorn's first spell at the club ended in the best possible way, but he struggled to recreate the same feelings on his return.

Derby County's transfer window in the summer of 2018 was extremely exciting. Under the guidance of Frank Lampard, the Rams brought in nine new players, with one going on to make a special connection with the club.

In May 2018, Gary Rowett finally left the club following months of speculation surrounding himself and the managerial role at Stoke City, but in doing so, he left a gap to fill at Pride Park.

Chelsea and England legend, Lampard, took the job on and embarked on a season of pure drama and emotion that ended with what seemed to be typical Derby disappointment in the 2010s.

Nevertheless, the 2018/19 campaign began with plenty of excitement and optimism, and the additions of Harry Wilson, Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount on loan only added to it.

However, it was not just this trio of loans that strengthened an aging team, these young Rams were joined by staples of the EFL, with Martyn Waghorn one of the most significant signings out of all of them, after he scored 16 goals and assisted 13 times for Ipswich Town the year before.

Flash-forward to now and the 34-year-old has just left Derby for the second time, leaving behind plenty of memories but perhaps some regrets as well.

Martyn Waghorn's first spell was one of his best at any club

The forward, who was born in South Shields, moved to the Rams for a fee that was believed to be £5 million rising to £7.5 million through add-ons.

Able to play as a winger or striker, Waghorn made his debut in a 4-1 loss to Leeds United, but it did not take him long to fire in his first goals for the club, scoring twice in a matter of days against Hull City in both the Carabao Cup and Championship.

He scored his first Derby hat-trick in a 6-1 win against his future manager, Paul Warne, as the Rams ran riot against Rotherham United.

His team missed out on promotion at the end of the season, losing the play-off final against Aston Villa, a game that proved to be the last of Lampard's time at Derby, but the following campaign proved to be an even stronger one for Waghorn personally.

The then 29-year-old scored 12 times in the Championship in Phillip Cocu's only full term as Rams manager, but it proved to be the beginning of the end for Waghorn's prime, as he struggled to re-capture form in 2020/21.

Derby faced a torrid time during the "lockdown" season, and they survived relegation, with Wayne Rooney at the helm, thanks to two goals from their once prolific forward against Sheffield Wednesday in what looked to be his final game in black-and-white.

Waghorn's return was unnecessary

Waghorn spent the next two years at Coventry City, with a loan to Huddersfield Town, ending his time at the CBS Arena with a whimper.

So, when it was announced that the former Ram would play in Craig Forsyth's Testimonial against Stoke City last summer, not much was thought of it. Yet, it ended with the forward playing back at Pride Park in time for the new League One season.

Although the reunion started brightly, it soon fizzled out.

Waghorn struggled to stay fit consistently, missing nearly the entirety of the winter due to injury after scoring five goals in his first three games - including yet another hat-trick against Peterborough United.

The 35-year-old's final strike in Derby colours came against Bristol Rovers, but it resulted in a return of one goal in 15 games.

The story of Waghorn's Rams career ended successfully, with him helping the club to promotion back to the Championship, but his injuries throughout the year made him a forgotten man for much of the season.

Perhaps the memory that supporters should have been left with is the one of him celebrating keeping the club in the second tier three earlier.