Decision Derby County made in 2008 landed them a gem and £10.5m | OneFootball

The midfielder came through the Rams' academy and excelled before leaving for Burnley.

2008 was a difficult year for Derby County. The Rams were relegated back to the Championship after just one season in the Premier League, one in which they broke the record for the least amount of points recorded in the division's history.

However, despite the negatives, the addition of a young Irish midfielder to the club's academy proved to be decisive in the coming years.

The Rams have brought through numerous talents in recent years, with the likes of Liam Delap, Jayden Bogle and Will Hughes all playing in the Premier League currently or, in Bogle's case, last season.

However, in terms of profit, nobody quite comes close to Jeff Hendrick, who left Derby in 2016. However, his performances in the years leading to that eventual goodbye were more than worth their weight in gold.

Hendrick burst onto the scene at Derby

The central midfielder joined the Rams from Irish club St. Kevin's Boys, and he spent two seasons as a scholar before Nigel Clough noticed his talents.

He made four appearances at the end of the 2010/11 season in the Championship, all in cameo roles, before he became an integral part of the senior team.

Hendrick made his first league start for Derby against Blackpool in just the third game of his first full campaign as a first-team player, as his side made an excellent start.

Despite two losses on the bounce following four wins to start the year, his team came from behind with ten men to beat bitter rivals Nottingham Forest 2-1 at the City Ground, with the then 19-year-old writing his name into the history books with a late winner.

Hendrick played 42 times in the Championship in the 2011/12 campaign, establishing himself as a player not just for the future, but for the present.

Clough trusted his young midfielder to continue to start in the next season, and he featured in all but one game as the Rams finished 10th, another improvement as they started to look towards the play-offs.

It took until Steve McClaren to arrive at Pride Park for the team to realise its potential and finish in the top six, but when it did, Hendrick showed that he was one of the division's best in his position.

He scored four goals, including one against Forest in a 5-0 win in March 2014, as Derby finished 3rd - beating Brighton & Hove Albion in the semi-final before they were defeated in the final minute by QPR at Wembley.

Hendrick was destined for the Premier League

Although the heartbreak of losing in the play-off final was still raw, Hendrick set about the next season to ensure that his team did not have to go through the same pain.

He started the campaign excellently, scoring against Rotherham United in a 1-0 win on the opening day, before taking control of the team's performances throughout August. However, an injury saw him miss four games, much to his and McClaren's frustration.

The 2014/15 campaign was his best in a Derby shirt, and he scored seven times in total, while also registering eight assists.

However, a poor run of form at the end of the year saw the Rams slip from the top two into the clutches of those fighting for a play-off spot, and they eventually finished 8th after they were beaten 3-0 by Reading on the final day of the season.

Hendrick geared up for the 2015/16 campaign, knowing that good performances could see him play in the Euros with the Republic of Ireland, and he once again proved an incredibly important asset at Pride Park.

He played only 32 games due to injury, and missed out on the final push for the play-offs, returning for the second leg against Hull City with Derby already 3-0 down. They fought back to lose 3-2 on aggregate, but it was clear where the midfielder's future was.

He joined Burnley for £10.5m on deadline day in August 2016, becoming a key figure for Sean Dyche.

However, Rams fans will never forget the impact he made during his 214 appearances at the club, as well as the memories he created.