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'A real shock' - The four ex-Derby County players still waiting for a transfer
Although the transfer window may have closed, some clubs may still consider entering the free-agent market.
There are also plenty of goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and strikers who have been left in transfer limbo — and some of those waiting for the phone to ring have Derby County connections.
There are some familiar names on the list of English players still hoping for a deal to be shoved under their noses, and it's surprising that nobody has taken a chance on a couple of them, given their backgrounds.
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But with the season already reaching November, the hopes of a deal will fade by the day, given the time it will take to whip them into shape. Here DerbyshireLive looks at four players with Rams connections who will be hoping for somebody to put a deal on the table.
Louie Watson
Louie Watson's appearance on this list comes as something as a surprise given he only left Derby for Luton Town back in the summer of 2022.
The Hatters paid a compensation fee to sign the Republic of Ireland youth international who was once hailed by previous manager Wayne Rooney who handed him his debut at Derby back in 2021.
The fact that Derby were in administration forced the club to cash in and off he popped to the Hatters who were then managed by Nathan Jones.
He was seen a player they would develop and he subsequently joined Charlton on loan last season and made 27 appearances scoring one goal.
He was eventually released by Luton by mutual consent in September after making five appearances. And despite being released, and the obvious promise he showed, he still remains without a club. It's a shock that nobody has taken a punt on him given his age, his education and the fact that Rooney was a fan.
Kwaku Oduroh
Derby fans may recall how Oduroh earned himself a contract at Derby in the summer of 2022 when he impressed in a pre-season friendly against Bradford City. But his hopes of becoming a regular in the first team at Derby never came to fruition.
Spent a chunk of last season on loan at National League Rochdale and it was no real surprise to see him released by Derby given the volume of contenders who can play right-back. Having arrived from Manchester City where he came through their academy, he just needs a break.
Bobby Duncan
The forward signed for Derby after leaving Fiorentina in 2020. He started out at Liverpool before leaving for Serie A - a move he has since regretted. The 23-year-old never made a senior appearance at Derby but was once touted as a player with real talent who had the potential to follow in the footsteps of some great Liverpool strikers.
The circumstances surrounding his exit from Anfield perhaps didn't help matters. After he left the Rams, he went to try his luck in Spain with Linense. That move didn't really work out for him either, and for a player who showed so much promise in his career at Liverpool, it's a regrettable tale.
Jeff Hendrick
Of all the players on this list, it is a major surprise that Hendrick does not have a club. He left Newcastle United in the summer and is still looking for his next club. Hendrick came through Derby's academy, joining the club at 16 and making 124 appearances at Pride Park.
His best campaign for Derby came in the 2014/15 season when scored seven goals and registered eight assists. A £10m to Burnley followed after their promotion to the Premier League after 139 games he was on his way to the Magpies on a free transfer in 2020. The move never worked out as he made just 27 appearances in four years, a spell that saw him loaned out to QPR, Reading, and more recently, Sheffield Wednesday. Another player that really should have a club by now.
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