Derby County’s longest serving player Craig Forsyth has put pen-to-paper on a new contract.
The experienced 34-year-old defender has signed a fresh one-year deal which will run until the end of the 2023/24 season.
In extending his stay with Derby for another year, Forsyth has requested and been granted a testimonial for his long service after joining the club, initially on loan, just over ten years ago from Watford.
He arrived on a temporary basis from the Hornets in March 2013, before going on to sign on a permanent basis at the beginning of July in the lead-up to the 2013/14 season.
He has since gone on to record 308 appearances for the Rams, scoring seven times, and is one of only 30 players to make 300 or more appearances for Derby. In fact, he is only the second since the 1990s to achieve such a feat.
Forsyth made 52 appearances for Derby during the 2022/23 season and the vast majority came as a central defender, having spent most of his Rams career at left-back.
Details relating to the testimonial events to celebrate Forsyth’s long association with the club will be announced in due course.
Craig Forsyth In Profile
Forsyth began his career north of the border with Dundee - where he also had loan spells at Montrose and Arbroath - before moving to England to join Watford in 2011, and has registered over 400 appearances in professional football.
At the time of his arrival, Forsyth was drafted into the Rams’ squad as a midfielder and he made his debut on the left wing a day after signing as Derby drew 1-1 at Cardiff City in the Championship. He had been out of favour with the Hornets, having been on loan at Bradford City for a short period, and made the move to the East Midlands in order to play regular first-team football.
After impressing in the left-back berth, Forsyth eventually became a permanent member of the Derby squad in the summer of 2013, signing for an undisclosed fee on 1st July, and he established himself as the side’s first choice left-back moving forward.
The club stalwart and popular member of the dressing room saw his impressive performances at club level rewarded with a call-up to the Scotland national side in 2014, for whom he has registered four appearances.
Forsyth’s evolution as a Derby player saw him converted to a central defender under Head Coach Paul Warne in the 2022/23 season and his leadership skills and respect he holds across the club saw him wear the captain’s armband on several occasions.
He’s also had to battle back from three long-term knee injuries, sustained in 2015, 2016 and 2018, but those injuries have not defined his time at the club. He has tackled every challenge head on and remained a vital member of the squad under each management team since 2013, highlighting his professionalism in varying circumstances.
