The 24 teams that will take part in Sky Bet League One in the 2023/24 season were confirmed at the end of May.
Here, dcfc.co.uk will take a look at each one in focus ahead of the new campaign getting underway at the start of August.
In this instalment, the Rams’ closest rivals in the division, Burton Albion.
Fact File
Established: 1950
Nickname: The Brewers
Home: Pirelli Stadium (6,912 capacity)
Manager: Dino Maamria
2022/23 finish: 15th (Sky Bet League One)
Club History
Established in 1950, Burton Albion have spent the majority of their history outside of the English Football League.
It wasn't until the 2008.09 season when they first earned promotion to Sky Bet League Two after former Rams manager Nigel Clough and later former Derby defender and manager Roy McFarand led them to the Conference title.
Their nickname, 'the Brewers', evokes from the brewing heritage in Burton upon Trent.
They spent two seasons in the Championship with their highest ever Football League finish coming in the 2016/17 season; 20th in the second tier.
Played For Both
John Brayford
Experienced defender John Brayford started his professional career with the Brewers in 2006 and two impressive years saw him move on to Crewe Alexandra in 2008.
He returned to the Pirelli Stadium in 2017 and has remained there to this day as captain of the side.
In that near decade between his Burton spells, he had a successful three years with the Rams between 2010 and 2013 where he made 117 appearances and scoring three goals before moving on to Cardiff City and later Sheffield United.
The now 35-year-old spent more time and made more appearances for both Burton and Derby than anywhere else in his career.
Jake Buxton
Cult hero 'Bucko' had a very similar path to Brayford, although his career started a little earlier with Mansfield Town.
After making over 150 appearances for the Stags he moved to the Brewers, where he spent just one season before earning a move to Derby in the summer of 2009.
The centre-back was reunited with former manager Nigel Clough and went on to leave a big footprint on the Rams in the seven years he was part of the club.
Buxton made 157 appearances for Derby before moving to Wigan Athletic for one season in 2016 and then finally returning to the Brewers, where he ended his career.
He went on to be Player-Manager at the Pirelli Stadium in 2020 before hanging up his boots and returning to the Rams where he now manages the Under-18s side in the Academy.
Jamie Ward
Forward Jamie Ward came to Pride Park Stadium initially on loan from Sheffield United in January 2011 before the move was made permanent a few months later.
He made 149 appearances for the Rams which far eclipsed any other club in his career and scored 34 goals and provided 25 assists in that time.
Following his departure from Pride Park, Ward made the move across Brian Clough Way to Nottingham Forest and it was during his spell there that he was loaned out to the Brewers.
He spent just five months with the Brewers and made just 19 appearances for Burton before his loan was terminated to allow him to move on loan to fellow Championship side Cardiff City for the remainder of that campaign.
2022/23 Season
After a disappointing to the campaign under former boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, the Brewers at one point looked destined for a relegation spot.
However, following the appointment of Dino Maamria in September, the club began picking up positive results and found themselves steering well clear of relegation by the turn of the year.
56 points ultimately saw them finish in 15th, 11 clear of the final relegation spot.
Record Against The Rams
The 2022/23 season was just the fifth and sixth time that Derby County and Burton Albion had met in competitive action respectively.
Prior to that, the only meetings had come during the Brewers' two seasons in the Championship between 2016 and 2018.
Across those six matches, the scores on the doors couldn't come any more evenly with both sides having won twice whilst the other two ended in draws.
Last season in Sky Bet League One, the two played out a 1-1 draw at the Pirelli Stadium before the Rams completed a narrow 1-0 victory at Pride Park towards the back end of the campaign.
