Player who scored famous Nottingham Forest goal now set to sign for Derby County
06/26/2024 03:51 PM
A fair few players over the years have played for both Nottingham Forest and Derby County.
The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that goes back a number of years even if it hasn’t felt like it in recent years.
Clubs these days compete for the Brian Clough Trophy and Derby haven’t held that since 2019 when Forest wrestled it away from their clutches.
The Rams haven’t actually beaten Forest since October 2017 when they won 2-0 at Pride Park.
Now, it’s two-and-a-half years since the teams even played each other and the rivalry is wavering somewhat.
With that in mind, it’s quite intriguing that a former Forest player is actually set to sign for the team at the other end of the A52.
Former Nottingham Forest player Ben Osborn set to sign for Derby County
In fairness, we’re surprised it’s taken Osborn so long to find his way to Derby – the club where he and his dad held a season ticket when he was a child.
Now, according to Alan Nixon, he’s set to sign for the Rams as a free transfer after failing to earn a new contract with Sheffield United.
Osborn spent five years playing for the Blades and last season he played 24 times for the South Yorkshiremen in the Premier League.
It’s quite remarkable that United beat Derby’s worst points total during 2023/24 given how bad they actually were.
They’re now back in the Championship and it would appear that Osborn is set to sign for a club that will play against them next season.
The 29-year-old came through the academy at Forest and made 230 appearances for the Reds.
He left to sign for the Blades when they were promoted to the Premier League and suffered relegation on two occasions with them.
Derby and Osborn looks like a good match
When Osborn left Forest he might have fancied becoming an established player in the Premier League but he had similar problems with the Blades as he did with the Reds.
Osborn proved a jack of all trades and a master of none and that often saw him fill a void in the team rather than actually nailing down a position.
Still, for a team that has just won promotion from League One, Osborn feels like a pretty useful signing for Derby.
This signing does perhaps highlight how far the two teams are apart these days.
Derby will be delighted to get the signing of a versatile player for free, whilst Forest are in the midst of trying to rake in around £60 million for a future Brazil international.
Still, as an academy graduate – and for his last-minute goal away at Derby in 2015 – Osborn will always remain in Forest folklore.
Something tells us that goal won’t be part of the unveiling video when the signing gets announced…
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