Derby County: 2017 Steve McClaren signing proved to be costly mistake | OneFootball

David Nugent joined the Rams for £2.5m, but at the age of 31, it was clear that it was the wrong choice.

Steve McClaren's second spell in charge at Derby County was very inconsistent, and after an excellent start back at Pride Park, the positive feeling soon fizzled out once again.

The current Jamaica head coach was appointed in September 2016 following Nigel Pearson's sacking after a terrible start to the season, and the fan favourite quickly got to work on changing the Rams' fortunes.

He pushed the team up towards the top six, reaching as high as 5th in the Championship table following a dominant 3-0 East Midlands derby win over Nottingham Forest at home just three months into his tenure.

McClaren was given freedom to bring in new players in the January transfer window, and went in for a player that Derby had targeted many times in the past in David Nugent, bringing the then 31-year-old to DE24 for £2.5m.

Nugent enjoyed a strong first season but goals soon dried up

The Rams were looking for further experience up front, and Nugent gave them that in abundance, but there were questions over his goalscoring record in the years leading up to the move.

He had scored just eight goals the year prior for Middlesbrough, and it was clear that his best days were way behind him. Derby had been trying to strike a deal with Exeter City for current Aston Villa and England star Ollie Watkins, but the two clubs could not come to an agreement, and the East Midlands side had to settle for the 31-year-old instead.

It took time for the striker to get his first start in black-and-white, eventually scoring his first goal for the club in a 2-1 home win against Barnsley in March 2017.

He scored five more times in the 2016/17 campaign, including a fantastic hat-trick against Fulham as the Rams ran out 4-2 winners at Pride Park. By this point, Gary Rowett was in charge of the team, and Nugent continued to stay in the starting XI.

Derby finished ninth in the Championship, but there was positivity surrounding the club, and they knew they had a strong chance of finishing in the play-offs the following season.

Nugent had difficulties finding the back of the net consistently in his two full seasons

While his first few months in Derbyshire were somewhat a success, it was not going to be long-lasting, and the 2017/18 season proved more difficult for Nugent.

He played 37 times under Rowett as the Rams finished sixth, and booked their place in the play-off semi-finals against Fulham, losing the tie 2-1 on aggregate.

It proved to be a more inconsistent year for the forward, and after starting the campaign brightly, he went through a dry spell, and struggled to get among the goals. Nugent scored a brace against Millwall just before Christmas, but then he did not find the back of the net until April 2018.

Following Derby's failure to win promotion through the play-offs and the departure of Rowett to Stoke City, Frank Lampard was brought in to change the club's fortunes. He signed two new strikers in the form of Jack Marriott and Martyn Waghorn, and it looked as though the writing was on the wall for the ex-Boro man.

He was used mostly from the bench in the 2018/19 campaign, and scored twice early on, but it was clear that he was struggling for pace, and it proved to be his downfall.

Nugent had more than enough opportunities to add to the two goals that he had to his name, but he squandered these chances far too easily, and he was becoming of less and less importance to the team.

His contract expired following his team's play-off final defeat to Aston Villa, and he left Derby for one of his former sides, Preston North End. Nugent's time at Pride Park had offered a lot of promise, but to this day, it is perhaps a regret of McClaren that he signed the then 31-year-old over Watkins, especially when his £2.5m fee is considered.