Frank Lampard gambled with £3m Derby County signing - it failed to live up to expectations | OneFootball

Jack Marriott joined the Rams in July 2018 with a lot of hype, however what followed was three years of anti-climax.

Frank Lampard's arrival at Derby County in May 2018 came with a lot of media attention as the Chelsea and England legend took his first managerial position after an incredible playing career.

The Rams were coming off the back of a disappointing play-off campaign, with Fulham seeing themselves past Gary Rowett's side over the course of two legs before going on to beat Aston Villa in the final at Wembley.

Work needed to be done to ensure that Lampard had the best opportunity to keep his new team in the hunt for a top six finish, and he quickly got to work on putting together a team capable of repeating the previous year's success.

Fikayo Tomori, Harry Wilson and Mason Mount were all brought in on loan in what turned out to be a breakout season for the trio, while Martyn Waghorn and Florian Jozefzoon added something different to the forward line.

However, all eyes were pinned on a £3m signing from Peterborough United, as Derby prepared for their first game.

Jack Marriott's first season at Derby was incredibly hit-and-miss

The Rams' deal with the Posh for Jack Marriott had add-ons that could have taken it to £5m, and there were huge expectations for the striker after an incredible League One season in 2017/18, in which he scored 27 goals in 44 games.

He arrived at Pride Park not fully fit, and it took numerous weeks for the then-24-year-old to make his first start.

After coming off the bench on six occasions, Lampard handed Marriott his full Derby debut against QPR at Loftus Road in October 2018.

It was a decision that paid off straight away, as the Rams' number 14 opened the scoring in West London in a 1-1 draw. Despite the dropped points, it was clear that there was an unbelievable talent in the ranks in DE24, and he continued to impress in the next two matches.

Wins over Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion were further proof of Derby's top six potential, and their new forward was starting to show his worth as he had already found the back of the net three times.

His form in 2018 continued, and he scored four more times, including a last-minute winner over Norwich City as his side ended the year in the top six.

Marriott was never able to re-capture this form after fitness issues later in the season

Marriott was on fire heading into January, but he quickly lost form and he struggled with his fitness in the final months of the campaign as the Rams prepared for the play-offs.

He was forced to miss out in the first leg, but after Duane Holmes was forced off injured at Elland Road against Leeds United, he made an instant impact - scoring with his first touch.

In an incredibly back-and-forth contest, Marriott scored the winning goal in the dying moments to send Derby to Wembley to face Aston Villa, where he was once again forced to start on the bench. He came onto the pitch late on, and halved the deficit, but the Rams suffered heartbreak once again in the play-offs.

Lampard's departure in the summer meant that a new manager was needed, and the striker had the opportunity to impress someone else. But once again, Marriott could never truly get on top of his fitness and he scored just two goals in 32 appearances as Phillip Cocu's team finished 10th.

The ex-Peterborough man had arrived with such fanfare, but he had never been able to show his true form to those at Pride Park, and after a stuttering start to 2020/21, he was sent on loan to Sheffield Wednesday, where he played just 13 times in all competitions.

He left Derby at the end of his contract, returning to the Posh, leaving huge questions of what if?