A report by The Athletic has claimed that Nottingham Forest midfielder Ryan Yates had to tell Steve Cooper that he’d made a mistake earlier this season.
The 24-year-old has been a revelation since the Welshman came to the club and has netted nine goals during 2021/22.
Yates has largely been a first-team regular but he was left out of the starting eleven for home games with Stoke and Bristol City back in February.
Cooper went with James Garner and Jack Colback in midfield, leaving Yates to kick his heels on the bench.
The report claims that Cooper met with the academy graduate to explain his thinking. He was respectfully informed by the player that he’d made a mistake.
His attitude is something that the head coach loves; whilst it’s believed that Yates is the first into meetings and the last to leave the training pitch.
This doesn’t come as a particular surprise. Yates’ work rate is outstanding and he typically epitomises what playing for Forest should be all about.
The young box-to-box midfielder has captained Forest on three occasions this season. They all came under Chris Hughton but it seems Cooper would have no qualms asking him to lead the team.
Yates has silenced Forest critics
In his quest to prove some doubters wrong, it’s a case of so far, so good from Yates’ point of view.
He was outstanding once again last night with his latest performance coming days after he was named in the Championship Team of the Season.
The Reds needed to dig in during their 1-0 win over already promoted Fulham last night.
Yates covered every single blade of grass and his performance went under the radar when it came to choosing the Man of the Match.
Yates has made 127 appearances for the Reds. The challenge for him now is to continue gaining consistency and if he does that, he’s set to become a top, top player.