Curtis Davies will leave Derby County this summer upon the expiry of his contract after six years at the club.
Across his impressive career, there was no club that Davies spent more time with than the Rams and no team he made more appearances for.
After making the move to Pride Park Stadium in 2017 from Hull City, the 38-year-old went on to make 175 appearances for Derby and held the captain's armband for a large chunk of those, as well as representing the Rams with great pride in some testing times.
He scored five times in all competitions, with his thumping header in the 2-2 draw at Reading in January 2022 being one that will live long in the memory.
Davies, who was named as the Jack Stamps Player of the Season for the 2021/22 campaign, sat down with RamsTV earlier this week to give a farewell interview to the club he now considers his own.
On how he's feeling ahead of leaving...
I was kind of ready for it. I've always been quite honest and I haven't played enough or played the games I wanted to play.
Ultimately with a new manager, he'll want to put his own stamp on the team and with players being out of contract I think he's taken the opportunity to do so.
I've enjoyed my time here thoroughly. It's never easy leaving a football club but I'm excited for whatever comes next.
On what he expected of Derby County when he arrived six years ago...
I'd played against the team in the play-off semi finals for Hull City and knew it was always a side that was pushing towards promotion to the Premier League.
I knew it was a massive club and pushing towards the Premier League so when I was relegated with Hull City, it was an absolute no brainer to come here.
If you come here and you're not impressed then I don't know what you're going to be impressed by. The club is full of history and tradition and to now be part of that, it's one of the best decisions I've made in my life.
On holding the armband for a long time...
When people come to me and see me as a captain, that means a lot more to me because they believe I've got something to offer them and I've got value to them in terms of my experience.
It means a lot more to me when people wants to open to me or come to me with a problem. The armband is a big thing in terms of being able to lead your team out and I don't take that for granted but I was always doing the same things without it.
It's a big thing in terms of the captaincy and being a leader but it's not the be all and end all. You can always play that role whether that be on or off the pitch. I've had to play a captaincy role in different capacities this season so it's something I take pride in and something I enjoy.
It was very special to hold it at a club like this but I would have been the same guy whether you gave it to me or not.
On the final day of the 2020/21 season...
I always look back on that with a smile on my face because we survived first and foremost but you'll not realise how tense and nervous I was for the whole day. It wasn't a nervousness in terms of if we were going to lose but it was more what my role was going to be.
When you haven't had any football for four and a half months, it was daunting to think I could come on in any number of positions. I warmed up for the entire second-half and didn't know whether I was going to come on up front, come on in my position or come on at all.
If I knew I was coming on at this period and knew where I was playing I could have got my head around it but because I didn't have that clarity it was just mad.
The craziest thing about it was as soon as I got on the pitch I was calm and fine, especially being at centre-half, it was utopia and I was calm.
When you're in it and in the moment it goes so quick and I can say the same for my time at the club. I've been here six years, it's the longest I've ever been at a football club and the most appearances I've made at a club but my debut at Sunderland seems a click away.
On why he stayed with the club...
I felt like I owed something to the club having been injured and not being to help the lads. For me, there was unfinished business and I never felt like we should have ever been in the position down the bottom of the league.
Realistically it was the only place I wanted to be. I came back to train and get fit first and foremost but once we got through that stage we started about staying here and signing a contract.
The club was a big factor for me. Any other club or person that maybe invited me in somewhere it may not have been the same but the fact I was here and wanted to be here and help the team into a better situation than we were before meant a lot to me so that's why I wanted to stay.
On whether he feels like he scored enough for Derby...
I didn't, no.
I always scored in bunches. When I was at Hull City I had seasons where I scored six, six and five so I was a regular one in 10 goal scorer which for a centre-half you'll take.
I got a goal reasonably early for Derby against Hull City and hoped I'd be able to get the trend going again, especially being back in the Championship but unfortunately I didn't score again until four years later and even then whether that goal is mine or not. They gave it to me though so I'm never giving it back.
I probably didn't score enough but that Reading one, the commentary gives me tingles. To get those two late goals was massive and we were hopeful that we could kick on from there. Unfortunately it didn't happen that way but it wasn't for the want of trying because those lads in the changing room gave everything they had to try and stay up.
On whether he will see himself as a Derby County player when he hangs up his boots...
It's hard to see past that, yes.
My time here, the rollercoaster and the ups and downs. Everything we've been through as a group, if you don't become bonded to that then you shouldn't have been here in the first place.
It means a lot to me and I think this will be the club that's associated to my name when I retire. I think I'll always remembered as a Derby County player more than anything else with Hull as a close second but I think this club is my club.
On staying involved with the club..
There's conversations with myself and the higher ups to see where we can make something happen where I'm formally associated with this club.
Right now, there's certain things that I need to think about and what I want to do but I think even if it's not immediately, I may hopefully be part of something in the future where I can be back here in some capacity.
I'm hopeful that one day I can be part of this club again and be here at Pride Park for some games.
On what he will remember the most about Derby...
The people.
We can talk about individual games and the highs and lows but they are short emotions. The relationships you build with the staff here at the training ground, that's what I will hold on to.
The people I've met at this club have been fantastic and I will always hold them close to my heart.
