Derby County made their eighth signing of the summer by bringing in Huddersfield Town left-back Scott Malone to the club on a three-year deal.
The 27-year-old arrives after a single season in the Premier League with the Terriers, during which he made 28 appearances in all competitions.
dcfc.co.uk has taken an in-depth look into Malone’s career so far…
Black Country Beginnings
Born in the heart of the West Midlands, Malone joined the Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy as a nine-year-old and - along with former Derby loanee Sam Winnall - he signed his first professional contract at Molineux in 2009.
Later that year, he headed to Hungary to join Újpest on loan and after helping them to qualify for the UEFA Europa League, Malone was named as Wolves’ Academy Player of the Year.
He also made his debut for England Under-19s against Russia, and he went on to earn six caps at that level.
Further loans at Southend United and Burton Albion followed, before he joined Bournemouth on another temporary deal at the start of the 2011/12 season.
The move was made permanent in December and he went on to score five times in Sky Bet League One, but he soon got his move to the Championship with Millwall.
From The Lions To The Bluebirds
Malone struggled to establish himself during his first season at the club, but he soon went on to become a regular, making 33 league appearances in the 2013/14 campaign.
Ultimately, his form attracted interest. Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund reportedly made a bid for Malone’s services, but he went on to join Cardiff City in January 2015.
The second half of that season was solid for Malone, and he played nearly every league game during his first full campaign at the club.
One again, interest in Malone’s services was high and Fulham boss Slaviša Jokanović was persuaded to bring the left-back to Craven Cottage.
Reaching The Promised Land
Malone enjoyed a stunning debut season with Fulham as he scored a career-best six goals to help the West London club into the Championship play-offs.
The Cottagers fell just short of the Wembley showpiece after a 2-1 aggregate defeat by Reading, but Huddersfield Town took Malone into the top flight by signing him for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2017.
He made 22 appearances in the Premier League at David Wagner’s side secured an unlikely second season in the top flight with a superb 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.