Derby County: There was only one winner out of £5m Watford FC deal | OneFootball

The midfielder left the Rams in the summer of 2017 for the Premier League, but they did not get anywhere near the right amount of money for him.

Will Hughes's rise to stardom at Derby County seemed to happen overnight, and after graduating from the club's academy, he became a crucial part of Nigel Clough's plans.

Making his debut at the age of 16 years, there was a lot of expectation surrounding the midfielder, and he quickly became a star at Pride Park.

The 2012/13 campaign was the making of Hughes, and he made 35 Championship appearances in Clough's final full season in charge of the Rams, and it was the youngster's technique that made him stand out in a squad that was starting to push for the play-offs.

Under the guidance of Steve McClaren, who took over Derby in September 2013, Hughes started to prove himself as one of the second tier's very best, and he was a major reason behind his team reaching the play-off final. However, his wait for Premier League football was forced to continue after defeat.

Hughes excelled at Derby

The Rams continued to progress under McClaren, and Hughes played an integral part as his side challenged for promotion once again in 2014/15. But, a drop-off in form from February onwards saw them miss out on the play-offs altogether on the final day of the season after a 3-0 defeat to Reading.

The current Crystal Palace star suffered an ACL injury against Bolton Wanderers in the first game of the 2015/16 campaign, and returned only for the final few weeks as Hull City ran out 3-2 winners in the play-off semi-finals against the East Midlands side.

It was clear just how much Derby had missed Hughes in the middle of the park, and his creativity could not be replicated by those who had replaced him, despite the excellent form of Jeff Hendrick.

2016/17 started horrendously for the Rams with Nigel Pearson failing to make a positive impact at Pride Park, and he was sacked after just a month of the season had taken place. McClaren returned to the dugout in DE24, much to the delight of supporters, and he was able to inspire the team back towards the top half of the table.

But, once again, the former England head coach was sacked and replaced by Gary Rowett, a decision that ultimately saw Hughes' Derby career come to an end.

Watford got the better end of the deal when Hughes left Derby

It was clear from the first few months of Rowett's reign that the then 22-year-old did not quite fit in with his style of play, and then Premier League side Watford started to show an interest.

The Hornets signed Hughes for a mere £5m, with the fee rising to £9m through add-ons, and there was a great feeling of disappointment and belief that the Rams could have got more for the wonderkid.

It was clear that the midfielder was going to play in the top flight for the majority of his career, but the price that was paid still seems low now when it is considered that the now 28-year-old has played over 160 times in the division.

He was crucial to Watford's survival in the Premier League during his first few years at the club, and helped them to promotion from the Championship in 2020/21 before earning a move to Crystal Palace for £6m, where he continues to impress.

Derby, however, will always feel as though they drew the short straw with Hughes, and they should have received a much higher fee than the one they did, especially with the number of games he has now played in the top flight.