Ben Watson explains why he chose to leave Nottingham Forest

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Ben Watson has told the South London Press what was behind his decision to leave Nottingham Forest at the end of last season.

The experienced midfielder was one of Forest’s standout players last season but left when his contract expired following the end of the campaign.

Watson, 35, played in all but one of the Reds’ fixtures in the Championship last season, excelling in a midfield role.

During the end of the 2018/19 campaign, the ex-Watford man had fallen out of favour under Martin O’Neill and his future looked bleak.

Lamouchi gave him a new lease of life though and thrust him into a regular role in the team.

Watson’s decision wasn’t solely for footballing reasons, however, and he’s been discussing his departure.

He told the South London Press: “It wasn’t a secret when I was up in Nottingham I was doing a bit of commuting. I’ve got a wife and kids. You’re family matter – it’s not just about the football.

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“I had a fantastic last year at Forest even though we know as a team the end of the season never ended how we wanted.

“When Sab came in we connected. He took to me and I took to him. He got the best out of me. When a manager trusts a player then nine times out of 10 that is how you get the best out of them.

“But I wanted to get back home.”

Watson proved a decent player for the Reds and in total, he made 80 appearances for Forest.

Last season he really excelled, proving an integral part of how Lamouchi wanted his Forest team to play.

Quality

He captained the side on several occasions and was a decent outside bet for the Player of the Year gong.

Watson protected the back four and allowed the team’s attacking outlets to get forward.

He was simple but effective and Forest would have struggled in plenty of games without his presence in midfield.

Forest have added Jack Colback to their ranks and the hope will be that he can provide the Reds with a like-for-like replacement.

Letting Watson run his deal down was probably out of Forest’s hands and it will be some solace to supporters that he was keen to head south for non-footballing reasons.