It was left late, but Derby County have moved to complete a loan switch for Sam Winnall on Transfer Deadline Day.
The forward became the Rams’ fifth signing of the 2017 summer transfer window and following the completion of his season-long loan move from Sheffield Wednesday, before Maikel Kieftenbeld joined from Birmingham City soon afterwards for an undisclosed fee.
dcfc.co.uk has taken a look back at his career and how he became one of most prolific forwards outside the Premier League in recent years…
Age: 26
Position: Forward
Nationality: England
Previous Clubs: Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burton Albion (loan), Hereford United (loan), Inverness (loan), Shrewsbury Town (loan), Scunthorpe United, Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday
His Background…
Now in the East Midlands, Sam Winnall’s pathway into football actually began in the West Midlands.
Wolverhampton-born, the forward started out with his local side, Goodrich Football Club, before he was given a chance by Wolves as an 11-year-old.
He progressed through the ranks at Molineux to sign professional terms in May 2009 and after recovering from an early setback – a serious knee injury – he bounced back to make his senior debut at the age of 19 in August 2010.
In need of regular senior football, it was time to head out on loan.
Hitting The Goals Trail At The Pirelli Stadium…
Burton Albion was Winnall’s first pit stop and first big break in football in February 2011, where he would stay until the end of the 2010/11 campaign… under the watchful eye of Paul Peschisolido, who was manager, and his assistant at the time, Gary Rowett!
He made an instant impact, showcasing a keen eye for goal as he struck seven goals in just 12 starts as the Brewers retained their League 2 status.
From those highs, he found regular football hard to come by over the next two years as he headed out on loan a further three times.
Two came over 2011/12 – at Hereford United and then Scottish Premiership side Inverness Caledonian Thistle – as he gained further valuable experience, before he linked up with Shrewsbury Town for a month at the beginning of the following campaign.
As the curtain came down on the 2012/13 season, so did Winnall’s contract with Wolves. It was time for a new challenge.
Rediscovering His Scoring Touch…
The proof was now in the pudding. If Winnall is in the team, he scores goals.
Back to League 2 was his next port of call ahead of 2013/14 as Scunthorpe United took a punt on him following a successful trial and offered him a one-year contract.
After opening his account with a debut goal in a 2-0 win over Mansfield Town, Winnall was lethal and finished as the Iron’s top scorer with 23 goals to his name as they romped to the League 2 title.
For his efforts, the forward was nominated for the League 2 Player of the Year award – now his eyes were firmly on stepping up.
Firing Barnsley Back To The Championship…
Naturally, Winnall was offered improved terms by Scunthorpe, but his form had caught the attention of a number of clubs in League 1.
Barnsley, recently relegated from the Championship, stole a march and signed the forward on a three-year contract.
He continued to feature regularly and scored 13 times in his first year at Oakwell, including his first career hat-trick in a resounding 5-0 win over his former club Burton Albion in an FA Cup meeting in November 2014.
His second season in South Yorkshire will take some beating!
Top goalscorer with 24 goals, Barnsley promoted back to the Championship via the play-offs and Football League Trophy winners. The 2015/16 season was a dream, not only on a personal level, but as an overall outcome.
Could he make the step up to the Championship? You know the answer by now!
Championship Bound…
Last season’s success at Barnsley was spoken about a lot.
For much of the 2016/17 campaign, the Tykes were flirting with the Championship’s top-six before their squad was dismantled by a number of high-profile moves.
Within that success, Winnall’s goals were crucial.
Up to the New Year, the forward had bagged 11 goals and was one of the second tier’s leading marksman by the turn of the year.
Once again, he attracted admirers and this time it was one of Barnsley’s Yorkshire rivals that moved to take Winnall on to the next stage of his career.
Sheffield Wednesday, firmly in the hunt for promotion to the Premier League, added the clinical finisher to bolster their attacking options.
Winnall scored a further three times, including one against Barnsley, as the Owls secured a play-off finish, but promotion eluded them once again as they were beaten by Huddersfield Town over a two-legged semi-finals.
It’s time now for a new challenge… Back in the Midlands!
