Though it seems like a lifetime ago in some ways, Derby County’s promotion to the Championship was only confirmed a few weeks ago.

The Rams avoided the nerve-wracking play-off struggle by finishing second in League One thanks to their victory against Carlisle on the last day of the regular season. Instead, they advanced automatically to face champion Portsmouth.

We’ve asked Rams fans to share their best and worst moments from the season, including the players who stood out to them, the best home and away performances, and the player Derby has to do everything in its power to sign this summer, as the season draws to a close and head coach Paul Warne and his team have a successful season overall.

Conducting end-of-season surveys after a campaign that won a promotion is not always simple. While the adrenaline is still pumping, it can be difficult to take off your rose-colored glasses. However, Derby fans have made it very clear to club owner Dave Clowes what player they think is a must-sign before the team returns to the second division.

Being a loan player who is completely and irrevocably adored by his new fans—something that happened at Derby extremely quickly—Ebou Adams is a bit of a rarity.

After joining from Cardiff City in January, the midfield player was instrumental in leading Derby back to the Championship. If Adams had been a Derby player the entire season, our Rams reporter Leigh Curtis asserts, they would have been celebrating a championship victory rather than merely finishing in second place.

A whopping 85% of responders to the question of whether Derby should sign Adams this summer agreed, although 1%—you know who you are—demurred and 14% answered yes as long as the Rams could afford it.

With 66 percent of the voting, he was also chosen as the Rams’ best signing of the season, followed by Curtis Nelson with 25 percent.

In the Rams player of the season vote, which center defender Nelson easily won, roles were somewhat flipped. Adams came in third place (11%).

After joining the Rams in the summer, Nelson, 30, is regarded as the team’s best player this season by 41% of respondents, with fellow defender Eiran Cashin coming in second with 26%.

Consequently, Cashin emerged victorious as the young player of the season, garnering 82 percent of the total votes cast, while Max Bird trailed behind with a mere six percent.

Both club owner Clowes and head coach Paul Warne received great marks in the end-of-season survey, as was to be expected. Of the respondents, 49% rated the manager’s performance as “amazing” and 46% as “good.” Clowes’ ownership was rated as “perfect” by 65% and as “amazing” by 29%.

Rams’ end of season poll results in full

Who was your player of the season?

Curtis Nelson 41%

Ebou Adams 11%

James Collins 3%

Eiran Cashin 26%

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing 19%

Who was your young player of the season?

Eiran Cashin 82%

Max Bird 6%

Liam Thompson 5%

Dajaune Brown 2%

Louie Sibley 5%

Who was your signing of the season?

Curtis Nelson 25%

Ebou Adams 66%

Kane Wilson 4%

Joe Ward 3%

Sonny Bradley 2%

Rate the job Paul Warne has done this season

Amazing 49%

Good 46%

Average 5%

What was your favourite away win?

Oxford United (3-2) 29%

Cambridge United (1-0) 5%

Bristol Rovers (3-0) 6%

Exeter City (3-0) 3%

Peterborough United (4-2) 57%

What was the best home performance?

Barnsley (3-0) 35%

Northampton (4-0) 12%

Port Vale (3-0) 3%

Bolton (1-0) 47%

Blackpool (1-0) 3%

What was the best atmosphere at Pride Park this season?

Carlisle 67%

Bolton 28%

Blackpool 2%

Stevenage 1%

Leyton Orient 2%

Rate David Clowes’ ownership of Derby County?

Perfect 65%

Amazing 29%

Good 6%

Average 0%

What was the most disappointing defeat of the season?

Stevenage (3-1) 32%

Shrewsbury (1-0) 13%

Northampton (1-0) 38%

Barnsley (2-1) 7%

Reading (1-0) 10%

Should Derby County sign Ebou Adams this summer?

Yes 85%

No 1%

Depends on price 14%

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