Jamie Ward reveals "life-changing" money Derby County stars would’ve got if they won QPR play-off final | OneFootball

Former Derby County forward Jamie Ward has lifted the lid on the staggering financial bonus that was on offer to the Rams squad

Former Derby County forward and fan favourite Jamie Ward has lifted the lid on the staggering financial bonus that was on offer to the Rams squad ahead of their heartbreaking 2014 Championship playoff final defeat to Queens Park Rangers.

Speaking on the Under the Cosh podcast, Ward disclosed the life-changing sums that were dangled in front of the Derby players just days before their Wembley showdown - whilst also taking a playful swipe at Gary O'Neil for that red card on Johnny Russell.

Derby County's journey to the playoff final that year was easily the club's best chance to return to the Premier League after their record-breaking relegation in 2008.

Manager Steve McClaren had Derby finishing the regular season in third place with 85 points - securing their spot in the playoffs ahead of QPR - who finished fourth on 80 points.

The final itself was watched by a crowd of more than 87,000 people. Derby were allocated 37,249 tickets for the game - and the demand was so high that around 17,000 tickets allocated for general sale were snapped up within 54 minutes.

Jamie Ward opens up on Derby County's playoff final bonuses

In a candid revelation during his appearance on the Under the Cosh podcast, Ward explained how the squad discovered the true scale of their potential earnings just a week before the biggest game in the club's recent history - it was arguably a better chance than the 2019 playoff final against Aston Villa.

"Well we all found out what we would earn from winning the playoff final about a week before the game, and it was just under half a million some of the players would’ve come out with, so before tax," Ward revealed.

The former Northern Ireland international went on to emphasize just how much of an understandable impact £500k (before tax) would've been for the players.

He said, "If you do get that victory you go up with the team, financially it completely changes your life doesn’t it, so you get big bonus, your wages nnine times out of ten double don’t they."

Ward's words provide an insight into just why the playoff final has become known as the "richest game in football."

Gary O'Neil's red card may have cost Derby County millions

Ward also couldn't resist a light-hearted dig at Gary O'Neil, who received a red card during the final for bringing down Johnny Russell.

"I seen Gary O’Neil yesterday - I’m doing coaching for a company called Football Escapes at the moment and I’ve seen Gary O'Neil - I said to him you owe me some money you do.

"Because he got sent off in the playoff final, he took Johnny Russell out as he was one on one. We was talking about it yesterday, he said it was the only thing he could’ve done, I was like you owe me some money for it mate," Ward joked.

Derby's dreams were shattered in the cruellest fashion possible when Bobby Zamora scored the only goal of the game in the last minute to hand QPR a 1-0 win.

Adding insult to injury, QPR were relegated back to the Championship the following season after finishing bottom of the Premier League - whilst Derby finished eighth and missed out on the playoffs by a single point.

For Derby County, defeat that day was not just a missed opportunity for top-flight football - but also the loss of millions of pounds in potential earnings for both the club and its players.