Derby County player’s 2015 return from Burnley FC did not meet expectations | OneFootball

The centre-back first arrived at the Rams in 2011, before joining Burnley after a successful year. However, his return to Pride Park was difficult.

Nigel Clough is often praised by Derby County supporters for his ability to bring in players for small fees and transform them into solid Championship footballers.

The likes of Chris Martin, Craig Bryson and Johnny Russell all joined the Rams in the 2010s and went on to make a mark at the club despite knowledge of them being relatively small on their arrival.

It was a part of Clough's management that helped the East Midlands outfit go from a struggling second tier side into one that was constantly in the top six picture by the time the decade came to a close.

His ability to find defensive players was especially impressive, and the addition of Jason Shackell from Barnsley in 2011 proved to be excellent. However, when he returned to Derby for a second spell four years later, it never quite lived up to expectations.

Shackell was fantastic for Derby in his first season

The Rams head into the 2011/12 campaign off the back of a 19th place finish in the Championship, and improvements were needed to help the club climb back up the league table and push any threat of relegation to League One away.

The summer transfer window was a busy one as nine new faces made their way to Pride Park, including Bryson and Jamie Ward - two players who quickly became fan favourites.

Shackell joined Derby from the Tykes for a reported £1m, and he quickly showed why Clough had spent a substantial part of his transfer funds on the centre-back.

He scored on his debut against Birmingham City in the 26th minute of the game to bring the game back to 1-1 after Curtis Davies had handed the visitors the lead at Pride Park. The Rams' Steve Davies earned his team all three points just before half-time.

Clough's side had an excellent start to the season, winning their first four league matches, and Shackell was instrumental in ensuring that his new club conceded just once during this opening spell.

While Derby's form dropped off, the then 27-year-old continued to impress. He was handed the captain's armband for the final two months of the season, a role he had held at Barnsley.

However, interest from Burnley came about, and after rejecting three bids from other clubs, the Rams sold their captain to the Clarets for £1.1m.

Shackell could never replicate his previous form in his second spell

There was plenty of disappointment surrounding the sale of Shackell, so when he returned to the club three years later anticipation was high.

However, despite a decent first season, it was clear that he was not the same player that had left the club for Burnley and played in the Premier League.

After starting in every single Championship game in the 2015/16 campaign and helping the Rams to the play-offs, his game time quickly diminished in the next season, and Shackell played just eight times in the second tier.

These would prove to be his last league games in a Derby shirt, as his lack of pace left him vulnerable. The arrival of Curtis Davies ahead of the 2017/18 season saw the then 33-year-old lose his place in the squad completely, and he joined Millwall on loan.

The expectations of the former Barnsley man never quite lived up to what he could provide the team, and the Rams never quite saw the best of the centre-back.