During the 2002–03 English football season, Derby County F.C.

Derby County F.C.

Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

 competed in the Football League First Division

Football League First Division

The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

, following relegation from the FA Premier League

FA Premier League

The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...

 the previous season.

Season summary

Derby were expected to make a bid for an immediate return to the Premiership, but struggled all season. Manager John Gregory was sacked and replaced by former manager George Burley, who led the team to a secure but disappointing 18th place finish.

Kit

Derby retained the previous season's home kit, manufactured by Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 company Erreà

Erreà

Erreà is a sportswear trademark founded in 1988, in Torrile...

 and sponsored by Pedigree.

Squad

Left club during season

Starting 11

Considering starts in all competitions

• GK: #13,   Lee Grant, 27
• RB: #2,   Warren Barton
  Warren Barton
  Warren Dean Barton is a former English football player and a TV Pundit for Fox Soccer Channel.-Club career:...
  
  , 42
• CB: #5,   Steve Elliott, 22
• CB: #6,   Chris Riggott
  Chris Riggott
  Christopher Mark "Chris" Riggott is an English footballer. He is a defender and has recently re-signed for his first professional club Derby County after spending the 2011-2012 pre-season with the squad....
  
  , 23
• LB: #4,   Danny Higginbotham
  Danny Higginbotham
  Daniel John "Danny" Higginbotham is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Stoke City.Higginbotham started his career at his local side Manchester United he made seven appearances at Old Trafford as well as a loan spell with Belgium side Royal Antwerp before joining...
  
  , 24
• RM: #7,   Rob Lee
  Rob Lee
  Robert Martin "Rob" Lee is a retired English footballer who played the majority of his career for Charlton Athletic and Newcastle United.-Charlton Athletic:...
  
  , 36
• CM: #17,   Paul Boertien
  Paul Boertien
  Paul 'Anthony' Boertien is an English footballer who has played for six English clubs. He plays for Burton Albion in League Two.-Playing career:...
  
  , 45
• CM: #26,   Adam Bolder
  Adam Bolder
  Adam Peter Bolder is an English footballer who has plays in the central midfield position. He currently plays for Burton Albion...
  
  , 41
• CM: #18,   Georgi Kinkladze, 22
• CF: #10,   Malcolm Christie
  Malcolm Christie
  Malcom Neil "Malcolm" Christie is an English footballer who is a free agent. He has previously played for Nuneaton Borough, Derby County, Middlesbrough and Leeds United and has earned 11 England under-21 caps.-Career:...
  
  , 27
• CF: #11,   Lee Morris
  Lee Morris (footballer)
  Lee Morris is a professional footballer, was player-coach at Eastwood Town, but on 19 October 2011 Solihull Moors F.C. announced they had signed him as a player....
  
  , 28