It’s ten years ago to the day since Craig Forsyth began what is now a long and memorable association with Derby County Football Club.
Forsyth, who had just turned 24 years of age, joined the Rams on a month’s loan from Watford under the management of Nigel Clough on 4th March 2013. He had been out of favour with the Hornets at the time and made the move to Pride Park Stadium in order to get regular first-team football under his belt.
At the time, Forsyth was drafted into the Rams’ squad as a midfielder and he made his debut on the left wing a day later as Derby drew 1-1 at Cardiff City in the Sky Bet Championship.
He went on to feature ten times in the remaining weeks of the season, eventually moving to and impressing in the left-back berth, before the Hornets recalled Forsyth back to Vicarage Road for the final weeks of the season as they went on to reach the Championship Play-Off Final.
Forsyth eventually became a permanent member of the Derby squad in the summer of 2013, signing for an undisclosed fee on 1st July, and Clough made it clear that he would be the side’s first choice left-back going into the 2013/14 season.
Since then, Forsyth has been a key member of the Derby squad, both on and off the field, through all the highs and lows of the last ten years. He was instrumental in several promotion pushes in the Championship while he also represented the club with great pride and distinction whilst facing up to the challenges of administration in the 2021/22 season.
The club stalwart and popular member of the dressing room has made 296 appearances in all competitions in a Rams shirt, scoring seven times, and his performances at club level saw him called up to the Scotland national side in 2014, for whom he has registered four appearances.
Forsyth’s evolution as a Derby player has seen him converted to a central defender under Head Coach Paul Warne and his leadership skills and respect he holds across the club has seen him wear the captain’s armband on several occasions in recent months.
He’s also had to battle back from three long-term knee injuries too, sustained in 2015, 2016 and 2018, but those injuries have not defined his time at the club. Now 34, he has tackled every challenge head on and remained a vital member of the squad under each management team since 2013, highlighting his professionalism in varying circumstances.
Forsyth made his 200th Rams appearance the 3-2 victory over Millwall in June 2020, Derby’s first game following the COVID-19 outbreak, and he could make his 300th outing in a Rams shirt later this month, and achievement which would see him sit in the top 30 of the all-time appearance holders for the club.