Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of goalkeeper Nicky Hogarth. The young stopper was released by Rangers at the end of last season and arrives on a free transfer.
The Reds have been busy bolstering their under-23 ranks during the summer. Forest now have category one academy status and some tweaks will be necessary to the squad.
Hogarth didn’t make a first-team appearance at Ibrox. He did enjoy loan spells away from the Gers with East Stirling, Stirling Albion and Cowdenbeath.
The 20-year-old has made 27 appearances in men’s football and that could bode well for the youngster at Forest.
Brice Samba is the number one goalkeeper, with Jordan Smith also part of the first-team fold. Youngster George Shelvey has joined Mansfield Town on loan, with Jordan Wright also at the club.
The pathway towards the Forest first-team could be relatively clear for Hogarth. Although Samba is established as the first choice, plenty of supporters believe Smith isn’t good enough.
As a result, some positive performances for the under-23 outfit and Hogarth could quickly find himself bumped up the pecking order.
What can Forest expect from Hogarth?
Under-23 head coach Andy Reid has been singing the praises of the goalkeeper and he thinks the ex-Rangers man could be a useful addition.
Reid told the official website: “Nicky has good experience around the first team with Rangers so it’s a really good addition for us.
“He’s a player we’ve got a lot of hope for. He has a real presence, a great stature and a really mature head on his shoulders.”
Those comments bode well and it’ll be intriguing to see how he gets on for the Reds. At 20 he has plenty of years ahead of him and he could be a shrewd addition to the under-23 ranks.