Craig Forsyth names former Derby County man as the best player he has ever played with

Derby County defender Craig Forsyth has named Will Hughes as the best player he has featured alongside during his professional career.

The duo played in the same Rams team for five seasons before Hughes sealed a move to Watford in 2017.

After bursting onto the scene by featuring regularly for Derby during the 2012/13 campaign, Hughes went on to produce a host of impressive performances at Championship level as he demonstrated his abundance of talent.

The midfielder also made 23 appearances for England’s Under-21 side in this particular period.

Whilst Hughes has not gone on to play for the Three Lions at senior level, he has managed to make an impact in the top-flight.

In his respective stints with Watford and Crystal Palace, the 26-year-old has provided a respectable total of 14 direct goal contributions in 87 top-flight appearances.

Forsyth meanwhile has now played 251 games in all competitions for Derby and will be looking to help the club avoid relegation to League One in the coming months.

Asked on the latest episode of the Sky Sports EFL Podcast to name the best player that he has played with during his career, Forsyth said: “I’d probably say Will Hughes.

“I think when I came in on loan he was 16 or 17 or something like that and he was very highly talked about and since then he’s gone on to have a good career.”

The Verdict

Although Hughes was unable to help Derby secure promotion to the Premier League during his time at the club, he did produce some memorable moments before moving on to pastures new and thus Forsyth’s comments are understandable.

Blessed with a great deal of technical ability, Hughes scored 12 goals and provided 18 assists in 187 senior appearances for the Rams.

The likes of Jason Knight, Max Bird,