Nottingham Forest defender Joe Worrall has issued a promise to the club’s fans that he is not leaving the club anytime soon.
The 22-year-old defender was linked with a move away from Forest this past summer but ended up staying and impressing so far this season.
He recently told the Nottingham Post recently: “Of course there’s always speculation. You see it all the time on Twitter. But at the end of the day I’m playing for Forest – the team I love. I love wearing the red shirt.
“It’s something that I’m focused on for the next game. You never know what happens in football. Lots of things can happen, but I’m just focused on Bristol City.”
Shoring up the Forest backline
As per WhoScored, Worrall has been Forest’s fifth-best player so far in the Championship. However, he has been the best defensive player in the side.
He has played 15 times in the Championship, also playing twice in the League Cup, in which Forest got knocked out in the Third Round of the competition at the hands of Arsenal. The Gunners beat them 5-0.
He initially played alongside veteran Michael Dawson, who hasn’t featured for the club since a win over Stoke City due to injury. Since the former Tottenham man’s injury, Worrall has played in his position and has formed a solid defensive pairing with Tobias Figueiredo at the back.
Last season, Worrall was on a loan deal at Rangers in Glasgow. He had done well in that spell in Scotland, appearing as many as 32 times in all competitions for them. He also managed to score once during his time at Ibrox.
Worrall is a product of the Forest youth academy and made his debut for the club back in 2016 in the club’s Championship clash against Reading, who beat the Reds 2-0 on that day. Before breaking into the first-team, Worrall had also spent a temporary stint at Dagenham and Redbridge.
TIF Tactics
Worrall has grown in stature for Forest this season and has shown that his spell at Rangers has been very crucial to his development.
He is a big reason why the club has the second-best defensive record in the Championship so far this season. Sabri Lamouchi’s men have conceded just 13 goals – more than only Leeds United and level with Brentford in that regard.
He has been the club’s fourth-best tackler this season, making 1.2 tackles per game for the side. He has shown that he is very good aerially and has been the second-best header of the ball in the team. He has won three aerial duels per game, only behind his defensive partner Figueiredo.
If Forest are to attain promotion, Worrall’s performances will be key under Lamouchi. He has to stay, just like how Matty Cash has to stay at the club. They need to keep doing well defensively because the club has scored the sixth-lowest number of goals this season. A good defence will make up for a lack of some goals.