In recent years, Derby County has seen numerous players join and depart from the club, with memories varying from ones fans would rather forget to those they hold dear.
The sentiments among Derby’s supporters towards former player Kamil Jozwiak, who was signed for £3.5 million but failed to leave a significant mark at the club, remain uncertain.
Kamil Jozwiak’s arrival at Derby County created excitement
Ahead of the 2020/21 Championship season, Derby County made headlines by acquiring Polish international Kamil Jozwiak.
The winger joined the Rams from Polish club Lech Poznan in a transfer deal reportedly worth £3.5 million, marking his first venture into football outside of Poland. Jozwiak began his football journey at Falubaz’s under-19s before transitioning to Lech Poznan’s academy on a free transfer in 2011.
Progressing through Lech Poznan’s ranks, Jozwiak had a brief loan stint at GKS Katowice before establishing himself in the first team. His impressive tally of 17 goals and 17 assists in over 100 appearances for the Polish side caught Derby’s attention, leading to his signing. Given his international status and the substantial transfer fee, there were high expectations surrounding his arrival at Derby County.
Kamil Jozwiak never lived up to the hype at Derby County
Even in 2020, the average Championship side spending £3.5 million on a player is a lot of money, so when Derby County did this to sign Jozwiak, there was an expectation he was going to come in and make a real difference to the Rams.
However, that wasn’t the case, and it never really was, as the Polish international struggled during his time in England, and looking back, it was a deal that was poorly done by the football club.
Jozwiak spent a season and a half with the Rams, but no matter what was done, he couldn’t replicate his form, which earned him the move in the first place.
In his first season at the club, Jozwiak played 41 times in the Championship, and while he was a regular under then manager Phillip Cocu, he struggled to make an impact in terms of goals and assists.
That season, the winger managed just one goal and three assists, and it didn’t get much better in the next season, as he chipped in with just one assist in 17 league games.
| Kamil Jozwiak’s 2020/21 Championship stats for Derby County | |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 41 |
| Minutes per game | 66 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Shots per game | 1.0 |
| Goal conversion | 3% |
| Assists | 2 |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Key passes | 0.6 |
| Average rating | 6.63 |
| Stats as per Sofascore.com | |
Moreover, his statistics showed that he was taking an average of 1.0 shots per game, of which only 0.2 were on target, leading to a goal conversion rate of 3%, according to Sofascore.com.
As a winger, one would expect Jozwiak to be involved in creating numerous goal-scoring opportunities. However, in the 2020/21 season, he only managed to create one significant chance for his teammates and provided just 0.6 key passes per match. These underwhelming numbers contributed to his overall Sofascore rating for that campaign being 6.63.
Mason Mount’s temporary transfer to Derby was a crucial factor in his journey to becoming a Champions League victor with Chelsea.
As expected, many Derby supporters had hoped that signing players like Jozwiak for the amount they did would inject some star quality into their attack, providing something they lacked. However, this hope didn’t materialize, as Jozwiak failed to make an impact at the club and didn’t display the qualities that initially led to his signing.
Ultimately, it was a disappointing acquisition for the club, with Jozwiak failing to impress during his time there. When he departed in 2022, Derby incurred a financial loss, selling him to MLS team Charlotte for less than his initial purchase price in 2020. This transfer occurred during a period of financial hardship for Derby, where every expenditure was crucial for the club’s stability.
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