Derby County struck gold with academy star who made them £8m: View | OneFootball

Will Hughes proved to be a top academy product for DCFC - He starred at Pride Park for many seasons and was sold for a handsome £8m

Will Hughes is, of course, known as being a solid Premier League midfielder, but his start at Derby County is what proved to be the making of his consistent top flight success.

Hughes, now at Crystal Palace, finds himself as a solid option for Oliver Glasner's side. The 29-year-old is at the peak of his career, but his upbringing at Derby is how he found his fortunes.

The midfielder made 187 appearances for the Rams and will always be remembered by the Derby faithful as their up-and-coming brilliant midfielder, who made his debut for the club as a 16-year-old.

Despite carving out a good career for himself, it could've been so much more for Hughes, who was previously linked with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool as a teenager following his first-team breakthrough.

Derby County hit the jackpot with Will Hughes after £8 million deal

Originally from Surrey but moving to Derbyshire at the age of two, Hughes joined Derby's academy in 2011 from local club Mickleover Jubilee, which started a really quick ascent up the ranks at Pride Park.

Just a few months after entering the youth setup, Hughes quickly made his impact on the Championship stage for Derby, making his debut in November 2011, but the 2012/13 season would be the starlet's real breakthrough, appearing 38 times in all competitions.

This regular action brought the interest of multiple Premier League giants, as Hughes continued his fine form in the second tier, becoming a consistent starter week in, week out.

The then-Derby County manager, Nigel Clough, spoke highly of Hughes, telling BBC Sport in 2012: "Just give him the ball, that is what we tell the lads. They have the confidence to give him it all over the pitch.

"People say 'is he really only 17?' It is like having a senior pro in the team. His composure belies his age and there are not many 17-year-olds in the country playing to the standard that he is; it sets him apart."

Hughes went onto win the Football League Young Player of the Year award in 2014 at the age of 19, and the fact he stuck with Derby for three more seasons, shows his loyalty towards the club.

The midfielder had a brilliant spell at Pride Park, but finally made the step-up to the Premier League in 2017, moving to Watford for a fee of £8 million.

That year, Derby spent big on the likes of Tom Lawrence and Andre Wisdom among other players, so the departure of Hughes helped to fund for many incomings that assisted them to reach the top six in the Championship, having finished ninth in Hughes' final season at the club.

Derby County tenure moulded Will Hughes into the player he is today

After Hughes' revelation at Derby, he took his form into the Premier League with Watford, and despite relegation, he was a part of the 20/21 Hornets side that quickly returned to the top flight, which then brought him his move to Crystal Palace for a fee of £6 million.

After his move, Hughes reflected on his time with Derby, speaking to Palace's club website about his time at the Rams, being proud of his upbringing in the professional game.

Hughes said: "The characters in that dressing room were very big characters. Like I have said before, it is sink or swim. That has moulded me into the person I am today. It has helped improve me massively from a mental point of view.

"I mean, you’re a product of your environment. When I was brought through there, that was exactly what it was. It was an old-school mentality, but I’m so glad I came through in that situation."

Will Hughes perhaps never hit his top potential with Derby County and others

It came as no surprise the heavy hitters of English football, as mentioned previously, were linked with the midfielder at such a young age.

If he had opted to leave Derby for a big club, it could've gone one of two ways - he could've flourished or essentially not made an impact and left to play under-21's football.

Even by staying at Derby, he could've found a big move at some point, but when Gary Rowett joined the Rams in March 2017, his time at the club began to somewhat stagnate and led to his departure to Watford, who were a relegation-threatened Premier League side at the time.

No doubt, Hughes has had a very solid career, but it could've been on a larger scale if he decided to make the jump from an early age, and could've potentially been worth the risk.

One thing that is clear to see is Derby's excellent academy production, as many names have been produced, with Hughes being up there as a top product of the Rams.