a fee rumoured to be in the region of £600,000. Replacing previous first choice left back Mo Camara, McEveley played regularly for the Rams as they eventually finished third and earned promotion to the Premier League following a 1–0 win over West Brom in the Championship play-off final. McEveley played regularly for Derby upon their return to the Premier League and scored his first goal for County against Liverpool, the equaliser, in a 2–1 home defeat. He sustained knee ligament damage in the 1–0 loss to Bolton on 2 January 2008 after a heavy tackle from Kevin Davies which was expected to keep him out for four months, though he returned six weeks later to play in Derby's 2–0 defeat away to Wigan Athletic at the end of February 2008. McEveley began the 2008–09 season as first choice left back, but lost his place to new signing Jordan Stewart. He joined Preston North End on a one-month loan on 29 September 2008, and made his debut in a 2–0 defeat against Swansea, conceding a penalty that lead to the second goal. He returned to Derby at the end of October and a month later was sent out on loan again, this time for a three-month spell with Charlton Athletic. Alcock returned from his loan spell early in January 2009 due to injury, and then went on to re-establish himself as Derby's first choice left back. On 11 April 2009, in Derby's 1–0 win over Sheffield Wednesday, McEveley broke a metatarsal in his left foot, and was ruled out for the rest of the season. McEveley started the 2009–10 season as Derby's second choice left back, behind new signing Dean Moxey. After only four appearances, McEveley fractured his cheekbone in the 20th minute of a game against Middlesbrough, which would potentially rule him out for six weeks. Shortly after his injury however, McEveley had an operation on his cheekbone, and was later revealed that during the operation, McEveley's heart had stopped beating for two minutes. McEveley was transferred to intensive care after his heart was successfully restarted and following a scan, doctors gave him the all-clear, telling him it would not affect his football. Alcock later said: Exactly one month after suffering his injury, McEveley returned to the first team on 20 November 2009. He went on to start eight successive games, playing with a mask to protect his cheekbone. McEveley