Liam Dickinson - one of the Football League's brightest young talents - became Derby County's ninth signing ahead of the 2008/09 season.

The striker arrived from Stockport County after enjoying a successful campaign in which he scored 21 goals and won promotion to League 1 with the Hatters.

Dickinson was one of several promotion-winners to join Derby in the summer and left Stockport having fired the crucial third goal in their League 2 play-off final success against Rochdale.

His move marked a meteoric rise for the tall front-man who was playing non-league football for Woodley Sports as late as December 2005.

Stockport took him on trial before bringing him in permanently for just £2,000 at the end of 2005.

They were rewarded with seven goals from 12 starts in the final few months of his debut campaign, and in 2006/07 Dickinson added another seven in 13 starts and 22 substitute appearances.

But in 2007/08 the six-feet four-inches front-man really came to the fore with a best-ever personal haul of 21 and a day of Wembley glory to cap it all off.

Dickinson is currently on loan at League 1 side Huddersfield Town to gain expeirence of playing first-team football in front of big crowds in a high-expectation environment.

LAST UPDATED: August 28 2008.