If there is one thing that football is capable of, it’s throwing up surprises around every corner and Derby County fans know that more than most.
In a turbulent journey over the years, Pride Park has seen promotion and relegation, with plenty of iconic names through the doors of the stadium and training ground.
While the current squad of 25 or so under Paul Warne are the present and perhaps future of the club, the past has seen many move on to new adventures.
For three former Derby aces though, the stars have aligned in a rather strange way to see them reunite in the third-tier of football in the United Arab Emirates.
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Jamie Ward, Ravel Morrison and Ben Pringle all move to Precision FC
In a surprise twist of fate, three former Derby players in Jamie Ward, Ravel Morrison and Ben Pringle have moved to the same club over the summer.
They made the switch to UAE outfit Precision FC – who play in the third tier of the nation’s football pyramid.
Precision, who were formed last year, won promotion at the first time of asking and are pushing to do it all over again.
While some former Derby stars are involved, there is a plethora of other ex-EFL players involved too, many of which played against the Rams.
Joel Lynch – previously from Nottingham Forest, Huddersfield, QPR and more – is in the side’s defence alongside Matt Lowton – ex-Sheffield United, Aston Villa, Burnley and Huddersfield.
A recent recruit for the team has also been midfielder Harry Arter, who was once featuring for Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and Fulham.
Where has Ravel Morrison been since leaving Derby County?
Since leaving Derby in 2022, Morrison has largely featured for DC United, initially joining Wayne Rooney before he left to manage Birmingham.
The midfielder made just 14 appearances for the MLS outfit, scoring twice before he left in January 2024.
Morrison hasn’t featured for Jamaica in that time, resulting in a lack of first-team football since the start of the year.
In Precision FC, the playmaker will be looking to do just that while finding a home to call his own in what is his 14th club in his career.
Derby are top of the pile for him in terms of appearances – featuring 38 times in the one season he was at Pride Park.
Jamie Ward’s story since leaving Derby County
Since leaving Derby in 2015, Ward has featured for nine different clubs in England, coming across many different leagues.
The winger joined rivals Nottingham Forest after leaving the Rams, making 62 appearances on the other side of the East Midlands divide.
Spells at Burton, Cardiff, Charlton, Scunthorpe, Solihull Moors, Buxton and Nuneaton followed before stepping into a player-coach role at Ilkeston Town.
The transition into coaching seemed inevitable, but his exit in 2023 brought an end to his time at Ilkeston.
The move to Precision will be interesting for the 38-year-old, with the task for another promotion now on his hands.
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Ben Pringle’s career after Derby County
Pringle is another journeyman who has added Precision FC as the latest club to a long list of outfits he has featured for.
After leaving Derby in 2011, the midfielder joined Rotherham, where he is perhaps best known for his performances.
Switches to Fulham, Ipswich and Preston were on the cards before dropping down divisions to Oldham, Grimsby, Tranmere, Gillingham, Morecambe and Altrincham.
In 2023. Pringle’s career took an odd turn as he joined Fleetwood United in the UAE – the Dubai-based sister club of League Two outfit Fleetwood Town.
In his one season there, the 35-year-old helped the side earn promotion from the Second Division.
With his move to Precision, he will be looking to add another promotion to his CV.