Where are they now? Derby County’s 2016/17 season opening starting XI

Archie Brown - Football Journalist

The new Championship season is upon us as Derby County travel to The Valley to face Charlton Athletic this afternoon. The Rams start the campaign with play-off dreams under John Eustace.

There were even loftier ambitions a decade ago as Nigel Pearson's short-lived tenure began with a 0-0 draw at home to Brighton. But who started for Derby that day, and crucially, where are they now?

Archie Brown has been finding out.

Scott Carson

After arriving at the Rams in June 2015, Carson settled in quickly at Derby, soon becoming the starting goalkeeper at the club. The then 33-year-old shot-stopper surprisingly made a two-year loan switch to Manchester City in 2019, before joining on a free transfer in the summer of 2021. Carson departed the Cityzens in June 2025, following just one first-team appearance for the club and announced his retirement in October of the same year.

Cyrus Christie

If there is one player in this list that has proven championship experience, it’s Cyrus Christie. Representing eight second-tier sides during his career, the right-back had a three-year spell at the Rams, where he scored two in 107 appearance. Christie enjoyed a short spell at Middlesborough after departing the club in 2017, before going on to Fulham and several other sides, including a loan spell at East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest in 2020. The defender now plays for Bolton Wanderers, meaning he could come up against his former side when the two sides clash next season after their promotion.

Richard Keogh

Another player with plenty of experience in the EFL, Richard Keogh soon became a fan favourite at the club and was given the captain’s armband in 2016. Despite a sour ending to his seven-year spell, Keogh helped Derby achieve several feats during his time at the club. This included a memorable Carabao Cup victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford and reaching the EFL Championship play-off Final, where the Rams just missed on promotion.

The former defender had short spells at sides such as MK Dons, Blackpool, Ipswich Town and finally Forest Green Rovers, before calling time on his career in 2024.

Jason Shackell

The 6’4” centre-back returned for a second stint at Pride Park in 2015, following a previous year spent at the club in 2011. Shackell also has some impressive experience in his locker, with time spent at Burnley and Millwall in-between and after his time of being a Ram.

Shackell departed in 2018, initially on loan to Millwall, before penning a two-year deal at Lincoln City. The defender now coaches in the United States, managing at the Austin FC Academy across several age ranges.

Chris Baird

The Ballymena-born Baird boasts a unique footballing CV, with 79 caps for Northern Ireland and time at fellow Championship sides Fulham, Reading and West Bromwich Albion. Baird joined Derby in 2015, though despite being given the captain’s armband in 2015, injuries and a lack of consistent minutes put a dampener on his three-year spell.

Baird was released by the club at the culmination of the 2017/18 campaign and further announced his retirement in February 2019. The FA Cup and Europa League runner-up had a spell that left a lot to be desired, with him never reaching the heights initially hoped

Nick Blackman

A player that certainly endured many years of inconsistency at the club was Nick Blackman. Initially joining in 2016 for over £3m, the winger made just 24 appearances for the club, scoring just one goal in a 2-0 victory against Cardiff City.

Blackman joined Maccabi Tel Aviv on loan in 2017, registering 10 goals in 31 appearances, before a loan spell the following year at Sporting de Gijon, where he made just 14 appearances. He then rejoined Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2019, where he made a further 35 appearances, before departing in 2021 and seemingly remaining a free agent ever since.

Craig Bryson

The beloved Scotsman spent an eight-year spell with the Rams between 2011 and 2019, with perhaps the most memorable highlight being a hat-trick against rivals Nottingham Forest in a 5-0 victory. Bryson was favoured at Pride Park for his tough-tackling, creativity and consistently wearing his heart on his sleeve. Bryson departed on loan to Cardiff City for the 2017/18 season, though joined Aberdeen permanently at the expiry of his contract in 2019. 

The connection between the midfielder and Pride Park faithful could not be understated, with that bond being a big factor in him signing a new five-year deal in 2014. 

Bryson spent a further three years back in Scotland after departing the Rams, with him also representing St Johnstone and Stenhousemuir before hanging up his boots in September 2022 with three Scotland caps to his name. 

Jeff Hendrick

(Yes, I’m only going to focus on his first spell). 

Hendrick was another midfielder that soon connected with Derby fans, spending a total of eight years at the club across the academy and first team, making a total of 196 appearances between 2010 and 2016. 

The fan-favourite swapped Pride Park for Turf Moor in August 2016, joining Burnley for £10.5m until 2020, before spending four years at Newcastle United between 2020 and 2024 in a spell dominated by loan spells at Championship sides QPR, Reading and Sheffield Wednesday. 

The Republic of Ireland international also has 79 caps to his name at international level. 

Hendrick ‘returned’ to Derby in 2025 as a free agent, though made zero appearances, with his time at the club likely to boost his fitness in the search for a new club - however he retired at 33-years-old in October of the same year. 

Bradley Johnson

A man who still has an incredibly strong relationship to the football club is Bradley Johnson. The former Arsenal youth player joined Derby from Norwich City and made 125 appearances between 2015 and 2019, scoring 14 goals.

Johnson enjoyed spells at Blackburn Rovers and MK Dons before being welcomed back as a player-coach for the under-21’s, with him making six PL2 appearances in the 2023/24 campaign. 

Retiring in April 2024 after 600 appearances at club level, Johnson is still at the club as under-18s coach.

Tom Ince

Son of former Manchester United player Paul, Tom came through the Liverpool academy, though left permanently for Blackpool in 2011 and settled on joining Hull in 2014. Ince spent a spell of the 2014/15 season on loan at Nottingham Forest, before joining Derby on an initial loan spell in 2015. 

Ince only spent two years at the club and left for Huddersfield Town for around £4.75m in July 2017. The attacker became a regular goalscorer for the Rams, registering 26 goals in 87 games. The 34-year-old left the Terriers after just a year, moving to Stoke City in 2018 before spells at Luton Town, Reading and Watford. 

After a three-year spell at Watford between 2023 and 2026, Ince is currently on the search for a new club with him currently on trial at League Two side Tranmere Rovers. 

Darren Bent

A player signed with proven Premier League experience, the striker joined Derby on loan from Aston Villa in 2015, before extending his stay permanently in a deal lasting until 2018. Bent’s also turned out for local side Burton Albion, who he joined on loan in January of 2018, scoring twice in 15 appearances. 

Another proven goalscorer, Bent managed 22 goals in 73 appearances for the Rams before his release at the end of the 2017-18 season. He retired in July 2019 after a highly successful career in the sport, with 13 caps and 4 goals for England to his name. 

Derby XI: Scott Carson (GK); Cyrus Christie, Richard Keogh (C), Jason Shackell, Chris Baird; Nick Blackman, Craig Bryson, Jeff Hendrick, Bradley Johnson, Tom Ince; Darren Bent.

A word on the opposition - Brighton and Hove Albion

The game itself was a 0-0 stalemate, though more interestingly was some of the faces in the Seagulls’ starting eleven and beyond. Current Paris FC Manager Liam Rosenior started the game in defence: the Englishman later spent time at Derby as interim manager in 2022. Also on the bench was future Premier League winner Ben White, who was breaking into the first team as an 18-year-old. 

Other notable substitutes included Rohan Ince, the cousin of Derby’s Tom, and Sam Baldock who made 13 appearances for Derby in the 2021-22 season. 

Regulars Anthony Knockaert and Glenn Murray featured as well as Lewis Dunk, who is remarkably still playing for the side, continuing an already established 23-year spell with 469+ appearances and 27 goals from centre-back as well as six England caps.