Nottingham Forest first-team coach Andy Reid has heaped praise on former boss Chris Hughton during an interview with The Coaches Voice.
The former Forest player is now a key component of Steve Cooper’s backroom team, having been promoted in the summer.
Reid was the manager of the Under-23 team last season and helped the team reach the play-off during their maiden campaign in Premier League 2.
The man who had a wand of a left foot as a player cares deeply about Forest and he’s becoming a shrewd coach.
In an intriguing interview, Reid discussed phoning Stuart Pearce for advice and also lauded Cooper but his comments on Hughton are very interesting.
He can’t speak highly enough of the former Reds boss and feels he learnt a lot from his dedication to his profession.
Reid told The Coaches Voice: “It didn’t work out for Hughton at Forest, but he gave me some fantastic advice and access – everything I needed. He was always, always there.
“After six months, Chris Cohen left and I took over the Under-23s. I made sure I got in before 7am every day, to give myself as much time as I could to get organised.
“Every morning, Chris Hughton was in before me, and he was also the last to leave. His work ethic was second to none.”
Reid heaps praise on Hughton and supporters might be surprised
These comments may come as a surprise to supporters. By the time Hughton departed Forest there had been some animosity towards him from the fan base.
Football is very reactionary though and with results not going well, it was always likely to happen among the supporters.
Hughton is a proud man though. He has success with Newcastle, Norwich and Brighton, so it was easy to see why Forest appointed him.
The manager left the club with a win ratio of just 26%. Only Alex McLeish in the modern era has been worse at the City Ground.
Reid clearly learnt a lot from Hughton though and perhaps these comments will surprise some supporters who criticised the former boss.
Given his meticulous approach, it’s even more bizarre that he couldn’t achieve more at Forest in his 11 months in charge at the club.
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