Derby County has seen many players come and go, with some leaving a lasting legacy at Pride Park. However, not all players were able to make a significant impact during their time at the club.
One such player was Ikechi Anya, who arrived with high expectations from Watford before the 2016-17 season. Despite showing promise and quality, Anya struggled to fulfill the potential many had hoped would propel Derby back to the Premier League. As a result, his time at the club is often overlooked or forgotten by many Derby supporters.
Ikechi Anya showed promise during Watford spell
Having fluttered around the lower leagues of the English football pyramid before a voyage to Spain in 2009, Anya would return to the UK in 2012 with Watford, on loan from Granada.
The Scot was one of seven signings made by Gianfranco Zola ahead of the upcoming season, including the arrivals of Almen Abdi, Matej Vydra and Manuel Almunia at Vicarage Road that campaign.
He would make his move to WD18 permanent the following year, having sourced 14 goal contributions in his first season with the Hornets, becoming a fans’ favourite with his electric displays on the left-hand side.
Anya would go on to have yet another productive season, provding seven assists and helping Watford achieve promotion to the Premier League.
The Glasgow-born wide player would struggle in his first season in the top flight, but did feature 28 times in the league along with five FA Cup appearances, still showcasing his talents at the highest level of English football.
| Ikechi Anya’s Watford statistics as per Transfermarkt | ||||
| Season | Apps | Goals | Assists | Minutes played |
| 2013/14 | 38 | 4 | 10 | 2,843 |
| 2014/15 | 36 | 0 | 7 | 2,547 |
| 2015/16 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 1,819 |
Anya would leave Vicarage Road having played 138 times for Watford, and the announcement of his arrival at Pride Park stirred excitement among supporters. However, his time in the East Midlands proved to be underwhelming, to say the least.
It all went wrong for Ikechi Anya at Derby County
Anya was one of the marquee signings for the Rams in the 2016/17 summer transfer window, signing from the Hornets along with Vydra, who had spent the previous season on loan with Reading, reuniting the pair who had spent time together at Vicarage Road.
Of the signings that featured in their season opener against Newcastle United, Anya was the one that fans left Pride Park being the most impressed with.
He featured on the left of a four-man midfield in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with his pace and directness becoming an outlet for the Rams during the encounter and he would create a good early impression among the fanbase..
Anya would impress during his first season in the East Midlands, making 26 league appearances while also playing in four World Cup qualifiers, with two of those caps coming against England.
The remainder of his time at Derby was to be hugely disappointing, barely featuring for the club following his first season in the East Midlands.
He made only 16 appearances in all competitions during the 2017-18 campaign, but did feature in both legs of the play-off semi-final against Fulham. The semi-final at Craven Cottage, in which the Rams lost 2-0, would prove to be Anya’s final appearance for the club.
Having showcased the endless amount of quality he possessed in his feet during his days at Watford, supporters were left wondering whether the player was struggling with injury, particularly during his final season with the club. His performances were with no lack of effort, but consistency was a major issue when he did pull on the black and white shirt.
Anya proved a key cog in Watford’s promotion to the Premier League, and his experience and versatility was considered a good addition for the Rams in their quest to return to the top flight following their embarrassing showing during the 2007-08 campaign.
Derby were believed to have paid £4 million for Anya’s services, with a four-year contract agreed, and a weekly wage thought to be around £27,000 a week. The figures produced during his time at Pride Park proved to be a signing that Rams fans will not remember in a hurry.
Anya left the club with fans wondering what could have been. Having joined with so much potential, he fell short of expectations by a considerable distance and the Scot may look back on his move to the East Midlands as one of the biggest regrets during his career.
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