Defender Dean Leacock was a £375,000 capture from Premiership side Fulham on August 10 2006.

The England U20 international is an Academy product at the Craven Cottage club and made his Premiership debut in September 2003.

Croydon-born Leacock made nine top-flight appearances for Fulham and has also experienced the Coca-Cola Championship in two loan spells with Coventry City.

He became Derby's fourth signing during the early part of 2006/07, on the back of Steve Howard, Ryan Smith and Matt Oakley, and was quickly followed through the door by Mo Camara and Stephen Bywater over the next couple of days.

Not much was known by Derby fans about Leacock before his arrival, but they are fully clued-up on the centre-half after an outstanding debut campaign.

Sometimes he can appear so laid back on the field but that's a measure of how calm he is as he plays the game and he has already proven to be a bargain signing and a very popular one with the supporters.

A couple of niggling injuries disrupted the early stages of his campaign but he has settled in to Premier League life well and a return to Craven Cottage on October 20 was one he relished.

Leacock lined up in a holding midfield role rather than his normal centre-half spot but looked more than comfortable before moving back into defence due to injury.

He was also handed the captain's armband for the first time anywhere in his career when he took over for the second half of Boxing Day's 2-1 defeat at home to Liverpool.

LAST UPDATED: December 28 2007.

PHOTO GALLERY