by Peter Scherer

71 consecutive games in a Derby County shirt were one of the highlights of Stephen Bywater’s career.

Having started off in the Rochdale youth scheme, he was quickly spotted by Harry Redknapp, who took the 16 year old goalkeeper to West Ham after only one senior appearance.

There was immediate success for him at Upton Park, winning the 1998 Youth Cup.

His continuing development didn’t however earn him a regular first team spot after debuting in 1999 when Shaka Hislop broke his leg.

Although he stayed for almost eight years, it was only in 2004/5 where he held his place with 39 starts.

He went out on loan to Wycombe Wanders, Wolves, Cardiff, Coventry and Derby, until the emergency loan at Derby became permanent in 2006 for a £225,000 fee, after 68 games for the Hammers.

At Derby he was part of the play-off team that beat West Bromwich Albion to regain Premiership status and was first choice for a number of seasons.

Only injury stopped his 71 game consecutive run, but he played over 150 games in a Rams shirt.

After falling out of favour he was loaned to Ipswich, Cardiff and Sheffield Wednesday, joined the latter on a permanent basis in 2012, after five years with the Rams.

He spent a season at Hillsborough, before stays at Millwall, Gillingham, Doncaster Rovers and Kerala Blasters in India finally brought him to Burton Albion in 2016, where he is still on the books.

He had played in three play-off finals, two for West Ham and one for Derby and was a League One runner up with Sheffield Wednesday, as well as playing for England at under 19 and 21 levels.

by Peter Scherer

Injuries plagued Shaun Barker’s career throughout his Derby County career, but for a while he was club captain.

Having come through the junior ranks at Rotherham United he made his debut for the South Yorkshire club in March 2003.

He had four seasons with the Millers and was junior player of the year in his first season.

Once established he was virtually ever-present in their starting line-up, but after a 133 games and seven goals, he declined a new contract and moved to Blackpool on a free transfer in August 2006.

Although arriving as a centre back he tended to be played more at right back, but again became a regular in his three seasons at Bloomfield Road.

He was a League One play off winner in 2006/7 and Blackpool’s player of the year in the year in the same season. Having moved back to his centre back position he had a spell as club captain, notching up 149 appearances with six goals before moving to Derby for the start of the 2009/10 season.

A slight injury delayed his Rams debut, but having then played on with a torn thigh muscle, he had a run of successive games and was named player of the year.

He was a first choice centre back the following year and had played every game in the struggling team but with a knee injury. Only after the team’s league safety was assured did he have the required surgery.

Having missed the start of 2011/12 he fought his way back into the team, but a collision during a Nottingham Forest match in Match 2012 virtually ended his career.

He was made club captain off field but despite hours of painful surgery he never played for the first team again and officially left the club in 2015.

After a trial with ex manager Nigel Clough at Sheffield United, he played a few games for Clough at Burton Albion, retired in April 2018 having played for Burton as they beat Derby 3-1.

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by Peter Scherer

Another former Derby County Youth graduate will be joining the Mickleover Sports NHS Charity Allstars match, but he made his name a bit further north.

Rob Kozluk made his first team debut for Derby away to Liverpool in in 1997. He made another 11 appearances that season at right back and began the 1998/9 season in the Premier League too with Derby.

But after only 22 games in total in a Rams shirt he was  part of Jim Smith’s deal to bring Greek defender Vassilios Borbokis to Derby, with both Kolzluk and Jonathan Hunt going to Sheffield United.

Borbokis never established himself, whereas Kozluk had eight successful years at Bramall Lane. He was part of the 2005/6 team that gained promotion to the Premiership, and played 213 games, as well as having loan spells at Huddersfield, Wigan Athletic and Preston North End too.

He finally left Sheffield to join Second Division Barnsley in 2007, where he spent another three seasons, making 75 appearances.

Having returned to Bramall Lane to see out the most of the 2010/11 season, with Sheffield United now back in the Championship, he failed to win a regular place and moved to Port Vale.

He only played for the League Two side seven times before leaving for Bradford City, where he saw out the season with another 17 appearances.

After two more seasons in the Northern Premier league with Ilkeston Town, he retired from the game in October 2013 and stayed on as a coach. 

During his time at Derby he was also capped by England at under 21 level two occasions.

by Peter Scherer

Although Jason Kavanagh came through his apprenticeship at Derby County, he began playing as a schoolboy with Birmingham City.

The pacey defender made his league debut in 1988 and was part of the Rams team that were relegated from Division One in 1991.

Injuries to regular first teamers began to give Kavanagh a regular place in the team and he played his part in the promotion season of 1995/6 back to the Premier League.

But he was unable to hold down a place in the starting line-up and went on loan to Wycombe Wanderers in 1996. But after 96 games and one goal in a Rams shirt, the stay became a permanent one for a £25,000 fee.

He had three seasons at Wycombe and helped them successfully fight off a threat of relegation, but after another 89 games and one goal, he moved onto Second Division Stoke City.

It was only a short stay in the Potteries as he then moved to Cambridge United after only eight games. He went through another relegation battle successfully, but only made 19 appearances, before his full time career ended and he moved again to Burton Albion, then in the Northern Premier League.

He was in the Brewers side that won the league title and had three seasons of action with them, scoring seven goals from his 89 games.

But at the end of 2003 season he ended his playing career. 

Jason also had representative honours for England at Youth level.

by Peter Scherer

Two promotions in his first two years and player of the year in his first, got Ross Maclaren’s career at Derby County off to a magnificent start.

After a junior spell with Glasgow Rangers, Ross came to England with Shrewsbury Town. He had four seasons at Gay Meadow and during this time he proved able to play in defence or midfield.

161 games and 18 goals later he came to the Baseball Ground and was part of Arthur Cox’s promotion winning team from Division Three to two and to Division One the following year.

He went two seasons without missing a game but in the First Division he was unable to retain a regular place, despite proving capable in a number of positions.

After 122 matches and four goals he left for Swindon Town for £165,000 and played under both Lou Macari and Ossie Ardiles for the Robins.

His dependency again made him a first choice, with the highlight being his appearance at Wembley, when Swindon beat Leicester City for a place in the Premiership.

Loyal service and dependency over five years earned him the captaincy, but having avoided injury for most of his career, he was out of action for a whole year.

He came back but it was a re-occurrence of the injury that ended his playing days in 1994.

Although not a manager in his own right, he has been in charge of Swindon Reserves, Southend United Youth and been assistant at both Derby and Notts County.

by Peter Scherer

It isn’t just ex Derby County players joining the Mickleover Sports NHS Charity match, there’s an ex Sports player Captain coming along too.

Corin Holness was Sports captain having had a long spell at Station Road in the early 2000’s. A defender, he started out as a Derby County junior, but seen service at a number of local clubs, either side of his lengthy Sports service. He was rewarded with his own benefit match back in 2007 at Pride Park.

He has played for Belper Town, Burton Albion and Alfreton Town and is still active in the Derby Taverners League as joint player manager of Willington Town.

by Peter Scherer

Having travelled almost the length and breadth of the country in his career, Adam Murray was another whose career started in Derby County’s youth team.

After debuting in the Rams first team in April 1999, the midfielder became well established for a couple of seasons, before losing favour in 2002, during the final spell in the Premiership.

He went out on loan to Mansfield Town and help them win promotion to Division Two in 2002 with seven goals in 13 appearances.

But he was unable to force his way back into the Rams side and had another loan spell at Kidderminster Harriers, before playing on a non-contract basis for Solihull Borough, Notts County and Burton Albion while he dealt with personal problems.

He played 54 games for Derby County, but eased his way back into his career with Kidderminster Harriers in 2004, before rejoining Mansfield later that year.

32 games and five goals later he moved to Carlisle United and had a season there, before moving to Torquay United and Macclesfield Town in 2007/8.

After one season he moved to Oxford United where he became club captain, making 87 appearances with 11 goals. But after losing his place due to injury during their promotion season, he moved to Luton Town in the Conference in 2010.

A loan spell back at Mansfield became a permanent move, playing 115 games for the Stags and scoring 10 goals. He also became caretaker manager, which for a while he did jointly as well as being club captain. When his manager’s position became permanent he was the youngest in the league.

As well as briefly coming out of retirement to play for Sutton Coldfield Town, he has also managed at Boston United and became Barnsley’s caretaker in late 2019 and is currently first team coach with the Yorkshire club.

by Peter Scherer

Gary Rowett is probably better qualified than anyone to play in Mickleover Sports All Stars NHS Charity match, having played for and managed both Derby County and Burton Albion.

He started at Cambridge United, where as a product of their youth scheme, the more than capable right back made his league debut in 1991 and rose as high as Division Two, before leaving after 63 games and nine goals.

Mike Walker took him to Everton for £200,000 but he was unable to establish in their first team and he only played four games, plus a loan spell at Blackpool, before Jim Smith brought him to Derby, as part of the Craig Short deal in 1995.

Three seasons were spent at Derby in the Premiership, before he went down to the Championship with Birmingham City, after 105 Rams appearances.

He got to the play-offs with Birmingham, but after two years and 87 games he moved on to Leicester City for another two years, back in the Premiership.

Joining Charlton Athletic in 2002 his games became more restricted by a persistent knee injury, and he left after 13 appearances in a two year stay.

His final move as a player was to Burton Albion, where he had another two reign with 43 games under his belt and it was at Burton two years further on that his managerial career began.

Starting as assistant to Paul Peschisolido, he became the man in charge in 2012, before re-visiting the clubs from his playing days, at Derby and Birmingham.

His success at Pride Park was paying off, but he left to join Stoke City in May 2018, but lasted only eight months and now manages Rams Championship rivals Millwall.

by Peter Scherer

One of the stars of the 1986/87 Division Two Championship winning team, Nigel Callaghan had most of his success early in his career.

He was part of Graham Taylor’s successful Watford side, after making his debut as a 17 year old in in 1980. They won promotion to the First Division, he was a regular in the team, playing a starring role with the likes of John Barnes and Luther Blissett.

Runners-up in League Division One was followed by his part in the 1984 FA Cup final, before leaving Vicarage Road after 221 games and 41 goals in 1987, joining Arthur Cox’s promotion push at Derby County for £140,000.

They won the Second Division title and Callaghan’s flair on the right wing gave him a regular place in the Rams Division One team.

He played 76 times and scored 10 goals before moving to Aston Villa in 1989 for £500,000.

After helping Villa avoid relegation, he had three loan spells at Huddersfield and back at both Watford and Derby, before being released in 1992.

Still only 30 years of age Nigel spent some time playing and coaching for Hellenic in South Africa as well as non- league UK football with Stafford Rangers and locally at Borrowash Victoria.

He played nine times for England under 21’s and once for England B, but retired from the game completely in 1992.

Ill-health prompted Nigel’s own benefit match, which brought together teams of ex Derby v ex Watford at Pride Park, after he had worked in Greece as a DJ.