Derby County’s 2007/08 season is infamous for all the wrong reasons, as they stumbled into Premier League history with record lows, managing just a single victory and ending up with a mere 11 points.

While Robert Earnshaw wasn’t the lone culprit, as a record signing for the club, fan expectations were high, yet his tenure was underwhelming. The Welshman featured in 25 games for Derby, netting a paltry two goals, only one of which came in the Premier League. Despite the investment, he started just seven league matches—hardly what supporters had envisioned.

The situation reached a nadir when Earnshaw was omitted from the squad’s final game against Reading. Manager Paul Jewell disclosed that a bid had been accepted for Earnshaw’s summer transfer, but tensions rose when it was clear that he would join rivals Nottingham Forest. Derby, reeling from relegation, decided to cut their losses and sold Earnshaw for £2.65 million, an amount that seemed fair at the time but would later be viewed as a misstep.

At Nottingham Forest, Earnshaw rediscovered his prowess. Returning to the Championship, he demonstrated his quality, scoring 17 goals in 36 matches for a team that finished 19th, making Derby’s decision to offload him appear hasty.

He solidified this sentiment by scoring against Derby in a matchup in February 2009, although Forest ultimately fell 3-1. He continued his fine form by replicating his 17-goal tally in his second season at Forest, proving that the £2.65 million transfer fee was a bargain.

Earnshaw concluded his tenure at the City Ground during the 2010/11 season, marking the club’s most successful yet despite his own underwhelming performance as a striker.

Although he only managed to score nine goals for the Reds, two standout moments include his winning goal against Derby in the East Midlands Derby and a goal against Swansea City in the play-off semi-final.

However, Forest’s failure to secure promotion led to his departure back to Cardiff on a free transfer. Nottingham Forest benefitted from Derby’s expensive signing, and the regret lingered at Pride Park for letting go of a valuable goalscorer in the Championship.