page_title: John Brayford
section_title: Derby County
hierarchical_section_title: John Brayford / Career / Derby County
caption_attribution_description: John Brayford kicking the ball during the match on 02/04/11 Cardiff V Derby, Championship, Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
context_page_description: John Robert Brayford is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Burton Albion. Born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, he began his career at non-league Burton Albion, which was then a non-league club, before moves to Crewe Alexandra and Derby County preceded his time at Cardiff City. He also spent time on loan at Sheffield United prior to joining permanently, and returned to Burton on a permanent basis in 2017. He has made seven appearances for the England C team.
context_section_description: Brayford formally completed his move to Derby County on 19 May 2010 for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year deal. With the sale of Paul Connolly to Leeds United, Brayford found himself as the only naturally right sided defender at the club and was placed straight into the first team during the club's 2010–11 pre-season fixtures. Brayford kept his place when the 2010–11 Championship season began, and played every minute of all Derby's 48 league and cup matches during the season. Although primarily employed as a right back, consistent injuries to other members of the Derby defence saw Brayford employed at centre-back and left-back through the course of the campaign. Earning plaudits for his ability to combine an attacking role with his defensive duties, Brayford scored once (in a 4–1 home victory over Watford) and assisted three times, and was considered one of the star performers as Derby initially challenged for promotion (being 4th in the table in November 2010) before a run of 4 wins in 24 games saw them plummet down to 19th in the table by the end of April. He was named the Derby County Supporters' Club Player of the Year at a Gala Dinner on 19 April 2011, before picking up the Jack Stamps Trophy before the final home game of the season against Bristol City on 30 April, having won the voting by a "considerable margin."
  In August 2011, Brayford signed a new contract extending his stay at the club until the summer of 2014. He appeared in Derby's first ten games of the season, as Derby had their best start to a season for over 106 years, picking up 19 points from the first 10 games to sit third in the table. However, an injury in training, prior to the match against league leaders Southampton, ended a run of 59 consecutive appearances and caused him to miss his first minutes of Derby action since joining 15 months previously. In his absence, Derby recorded just five points from six games to fall out of the play off places. Brayford returned in a 2–0 defeat against Hull City on 19 November 2011, however he picked up a thigh injury in the following game. keeping him out of action for a further three weeks. Having returned to the side, a recurrence of his thigh injury in February ruled Brayford out for a further six weeks. Brayford returned to the first team squad in April 2012, but was unable to reclaim a regular spot in Derby's starting eleven.
  Brayford started the 2012–13 season as the regular starter at right back once more and scored his first goal in over two years in a 4–1 win at home to Blackpool. In November, Brayford was linked with a move to Premier League side West Ham United amid rumours that Derby needed to raise funds in the summer, although Rams manager Nigel Clough denied the rumours. During the January transfer window, Brayford was linked with a move to Championship leaders Cardiff City, but after the window closed he dismissed the rumours and stated his intention to stay at Derby. Brayford's ever-present role in Derby's starting eleven during the season was apparently ended in early March when he sustained a torn hamstring. Brayford did return for the final five games of the season, but having only a year left on his contract, manager Nigel Clough expected Brayford to move to a Premier League club during the summer of 2013. The first confirmed interest in Brayford came at the end of June 2013, when a £1m bid from Wigan Athletic was rejected by Derby. A month later, a £1.5 million bid from Premier League newcomers Cardiff City was accepted.
caption: Brayford playing for Derby County in 2012
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