for Norwich led newly promoted Premier League side Derby County to break their transfer record, previously held by the £3 million transfer of Seth Johnson from Crewe Alexandra, by signing Earnshaw from Norwich City for a fee of £3.5 million on 29 June 2007. He made his debut for the Rams in a 2–2 draw against Portsmouth on 11 August 2007. Earnshaw struggled to make an impact at Derby and was in and out of the side at the start of the season before being dropped. His first goal for the club came in a 4–1 FA Cup defeat to Preston North End on 26 January 2008, by which time the man who signed him, Billy Davies, had left the club and been replaced by Paul Jewell. It wasn't until 28 April 2008 that he scored his first Premier League goal for the club, in the 6–2 home defeat to Arsenal. In a torrid season, Earnshaw made just seven starts in his debut season at Derby, with a further 17 appearances as sub. He was left out of the squad for the final game of the season against Reading when it was revealed that Jewell had accepted a bid from two unspecified clubs, later revealed to be Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United, bringing to an end what Earnshaw later stated was one of his worst seasons in football. Nottingham Forest In May 2008, less than a year after signing for Derby, Earnshaw joined Nottingham Forest for £2.65m, signing a three-year deal. He made his competitive debut in a 0–0 draw with Reading on 10 August 2008, scoring his first competitive goals for Forest in their League Cup first-round tie at home to Morecambe, getting two on 13 August 2008. Earnshaw's first League goal for Forest came in their 3–2 victory over Watford in the Championship, at the City Ground on 23 August 2008. He scored his first hat trick for Nottingham Forest on 5 December 2009 in a 5–1 win over local rivals Leicester City. The 2010–11 season saw Earnshaw struggle to find his feet early on despite some good performances, scoring only one in thirteen matches. His scoring picked up though, and he scored six goals in the last twelve games. This included two goals in the 5–2 win against Derby County at the City Ground, as well as the only goal in Forest's first ever victory at Pride