NafisaMartyn Waghorn Reflects on Derby County Move and Fallout with Middlesbrough Fans
Former Sunderland striker Martyn Waghorn has opened up about his 2018 transfer to Derby County and the backlash he received from Middlesbrough supporters following his decision.
The South Shields-born forward, who recently announced his retirement at 35, looked back on key moments from his career in an exclusive interview with The Echo. A lifelong Sunderland supporter, Waghorn rose through the club’s academy before making his senior debut at just 17 during a 4-0 defeat to Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.
After leaving Sunderland, he went on to play for Charlton Athletic, Hull City, Millwall, Leicester City, Wigan Athletic, and Rangers. His standout season came with Ipswich Town in the 2017-18 Championship campaign, where he scored 16 league goals in 44 appearances, attracting interest from multiple clubs.
At the time, Middlesbrough, managed by Tony Pulis, and Frank Lampard’s Derby County were among the clubs vying for his signature, giving Waghorn a crucial career choice to make. Despite an agreement reportedly being in place with Middlesbrough, he ultimately chose to sign for Derby—a decision that didn’t sit well with Boro fans. The transfer fee remained undisclosed, though reports suggest it was around £5 million.
Recalling the transfer saga, Waghorn detailed how close he was to joining Middlesbrough and the factors that led him to Derby instead.
“I had my year at Ipswich, and it was before I was signing for Derby,” Waghorn explained. “I spoke to Tony Pulis at the time. Everything was kind of agreed, really, and then Derby were in as well. So, I believe it was Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, and Derby were kind of all in and around it, and then I just chose Derby at the end of the day.”
The appeal of working under Frank Lampard and the vision for the team played a key role in his choice.
“That’s how simple it was. It was like, take your pick, and obviously, the lure of Lampard, to be honest, was massive, and playing, seeing this team, the project that was going on, and, yeah, I wanted to be a part of that team. The move to Middlesbrough was very close. I believe everything was agreed. I just had to make a decision within a split instance because the time was running out as well.”
Waghorn also addressed the backlash he received from Middlesbrough fans, suggesting their frustration may have stemmed from how that season played out.
“Living in moments and you’ve got to choose one, haven’t you? And that’s just the way it went. Yeah, no, absolutely and on the back of that note, I feel like over the last few years I got a lot of stick from Boro fans regarding that and I don’t know where that kind of materialised from. I don’t know what was going on behind the scenes or whatever, but I got a lot of abuse going back there for choosing Derby over them.”
He speculated that Middlesbrough’s failure to secure a playoff spot while Derby progressed may have fueled the resentment.
“I don’t know how it’s come from that. It’s just there was a player link with the club and I chose to go to a different one. It’s probably obviously the way it went, but I think there’s a lot to do with the playoffs and how it finished at the end of the year and they missed out and we got in. So, I think there’s a lot of needle going on, obviously, with stuff behind the scenes that I’m unaware of. I got abuse for a few years with that.”
Despite the lingering tension with some Boro supporters, Waghorn looks back on his decision with no regrets, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of football and the tough choices players often have to make.
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