It’s done! Derby County have completed the signing of highly-rated wideman Tom Lawrence on a long-term contract from Leicester City.


After becoming the club’s fourth summer signing, dcfc.co.uk has taken a look back at a career journey that has seen a talented young Welsh winger rise through the famed academy ranks at Manchester United and how he became a key transfer target of Gary Rowett’s this summer.

Age: 23
Position: Winger
Nationality: Welsh
Previous Clubs: Manchester United, Carlisle United (loan), Yeovil Town (loan), Leicester City, Rotherham United (loan), Blackburn Rovers (loan), Cardiff City (loan), Ipswich Town (loan)

His Background…

Whilst Tom Lawrence might have spent the majority of his football career at Manchester United, the wideman’s career actually began in Merseyside.

Born in Wrexham, he originally started on the books of Everton, but the Red Devils moved to sign Lawrence – a boyhood United supporter – as an eight-year-old.

From there, his progress at Old Trafford became rapid.

Rising Through The Ranks…

Lawrence’s early talent was undeniable as he shot through the age groups at the famed Manchester United academy – so much so that he was playing for the club’s Under-18s by the age of 15.

He scored on his debut too, in a 3-1 friendly victory over Maltese side Hibernians in October 2009 and by the 2010/11 campaign, he was an established regular and scored five times in 22 games – all at the age of 16 – and even got himself on the substitutes bench for the club’s reserve outfit.

The 2011/12 season began promisingly with four goals in four games for the Under-18s, but two separate injuries forced Lawrence to wait for his reserve team debut.

That came in the final of the Lancashire Senior Cup and, again, he was on the scoresheet as the Red Devils ran out 4-0 winners over Accrington Stanley.

Lawrence signed his first professional contract at Old Trafford in July 2012 and with it, became a permanent member of the reserve squad.

He found his opportunities limited at this point. At this point, it was time to head out loan and venture into senior football.


Making His Name…

Sky Bet League 1 was Lawrence’s first stop as he linked up with Carlisle United – alongside his United team-mate, Ben Amos.

Between November and January, he featured 11 times for the Cumbrian outfit and scored three goals, including a brace in a 4-1 win over Tranmere Rovers.

He caught the eye enough to step up to the Championship.


Yeovil Town moved quickly to secure his signature and Lawrence quickly became a regular for the Glovers.

He scored two further goals in 19 appearances in the second tier, but with Yeovil heading back to League 1, Lawrence returned to Manchester United and capped off a fine first year in senior football by making his Red Devils debut in a 3-1 win over Hull City.

Reluctant to let his rapid progress go to waste, though, it proved to be his first, and last, appearance for a club he had spent 12 years with.


On To Pastures New…

The first permanent move of Lawrence’s career came in the summer of 2014.

Promoted to the Premier League as Championship champions, Leicester City moved to sign the young attacker on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

After initially struggling to break into first team picture, Lawrence headed back to the Championship, linking up with Rotherham United on a one-month loan deal.

He scored one goal in six appearances, before returning to the King Power Stadium and his Leicester debut came shortly after that as he started the Foxes Emirates FA Cup victory over Newcastle United.


He appeared a further three times to round off the 2014/15 season, but the following year – 2015/16 – proved to be far more successful for the wideman.

Lawrence did have to return to the Championship, though.

Over two half-season loans, he racked up 37 appearances representing Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City, bagging two goals.

With plenty of Championship experience behind him, Lawrence went on to enjoy his best and most productive loan spell to date – this time in Suffolk.

Excelling At Portman Road...

Lawrence, himself, has admitted that his loan stint at Ipswich has been the most fruitful of his career to date.

Joining in August, the wideman spent the entire season at Portman Road and although the Tractor Boys struggled for the majority of the campaign, Lawrence excelled.

He scored 11 goals in 36 matches, which includes a number of blockbusters, from out wide and laid on a similar amount too, but his overall performances saw him recognised by his fellow Ipswich players and as he was named the club’s players’ player of the year.

Mick McCarthy, the Ipswich manager, was a big fan of his: “Tom has been brilliant and we've all loved him, everybody's really appreciated what he's done.”

It’s time for Lawrence to take the next step of his career.


International Recognition...

Lawrence arrives at Derby as a fully-fledged Wales international.

Since making his debut in a European Championships Qualifier against Andorra, he has gone on to collect six caps – his most recent of which came against Serbia in a World Cup Qualifier.

Before that, Lawrence represented Wales at Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 level.