Derby County’s recruitment last summer was a mixed bag but Curtis Nelson has convincingly been Paul Warne’s signing of the season.
Derby were forced to do their business in the free transfer and loan market last summer due to the financial monitoring restrictions imposed on them by the EFL.
This saw Paul Warne sign several players who were vastly experienced at League One level, including Callum Elder, Martyn Waghorn, Sonny Bradley and Joe Ward.
By far the best signing Derby made, though, was the arrival of Curtis Nelson on a free transfer from Blackpool.
Curtis Nelson’s season so far
After playing most of his recent career in the Championship with Cardiff City and Blackpool, Nelson dropped back down to the third tier to play for Derby.
The 30-year-old, who has made over 400 appearances in the EFL, has since formed the backbone of Derby’s promotion challenge alongside the excellent Eiran Cashin.
READ MORE: Derby County star Eiran Cashin’s journey from almost released to Premier League transfer interest
Nelson has been ever-present at the heart of Warne’s defence this term, featuring in every single minute of their League One campaign and keeping an impressive 17 clean sheets.
Hailed as a “top class” defender by journalist Richard Cusack, the experienced centre-back has been the figure of physical dominance since arriving at Pride Park.
Nelson ranks fifth in the Derby squad for tackles (1.5), second for interceptions (1.2) and has won 6.4 duels per game at a success rate of 63%, via Sofascore.
A dominant presence defensively and a leader alongside the talented Cashin, Nelson’s performances have often gone under the radar due to the brilliance of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, but he certainly deserves huge plaudits for the impact he’s made.
Signing of the season
Derby’s improvement defensively from last season has been impressive, and that is largely down to the form of Nelson, who has comfortably been their signing of the campaign.
During a time when the Rams weren’t able to spend a penny, the capture of Nelson on a free transfer has proven to be a huge steal.
The former Cardiff defender endured a tough season at Blackpool last term as the Seasiders were relegated, but his bounce back from disappointment has been phenomenal.
From facing up to relegation to leading the Rams towards promotion, it’s been some turnaround for Nelson, whose impact defensively has been just as important as those making a difference in attack.
He’s demonstrated his presence aerially and shown he can also play with the ball at his feet across several systems that Warne has deployed.
As a result, he’s propelled himself towards heroic status at Pride Park where others have struggled and that is a testament to how phenomenal he’s been.
Curtis must now end his season on a high by helping Derby clinch promotion next month.