Back in the top flight after a five-year exile,
Jim Smith's Derby County side never looked in any real danger of an immediate return to Division One, and their 12th-place finish in the final table was their highest final position in eight years. Young striker
Dean Sturridge received many plaudits for his goalscoring exploits, which sparked talk of a Β£7 million transfer to
Arsenal, but the move never happened.
^Powell was born in
Lambeth,
England, but qualified to represent
Jamaica internationally and would make his international debut for
Jamaica in 1998.
^Trollope was born in
Swindon,
England, but qualified to represent
Wales internationally and would make his international debut for
Wales in May 1997.
^Carsley was born in
Birmingham,
England, but qualified to represent the
Republic of Ireland internationally through his grandmother and represented them at U-21 and B level before making his international debut for
Ireland in October 1997.
^McGrath was born in
Ealing,
England to an Irish mother and Nigerian father, but was raised in the
Republic of Ireland and made his international debut for
Ireland in 1985.
Back in the top flight after a five-year exile,
Jim Smith's Derby County side never looked in any real danger of an immediate return to Division One, and their 12th-place finish in the final table was their highest final position in eight years. Young striker
Dean Sturridge received many plaudits for his goalscoring exploits, which sparked talk of a Β£7 million transfer to
Arsenal, but the move never happened.
^Powell was born in
Lambeth,
England, but qualified to represent
Jamaica internationally and would make his international debut for
Jamaica in 1998.
^Trollope was born in
Swindon,
England, but qualified to represent
Wales internationally and would make his international debut for
Wales in May 1997.
^Carsley was born in
Birmingham,
England, but qualified to represent the
Republic of Ireland internationally through his grandmother and represented them at U-21 and B level before making his international debut for
Ireland in October 1997.
^McGrath was born in
Ealing,
England to an Irish mother and Nigerian father, but was raised in the
Republic of Ireland and made his international debut for
Ireland in 1985.