Nottingham Forest under-21s are through to the last four of the Premier League Cup, with Oliver Hammond starring for the Reds. The youngster scored the decisive penalty as Forest edged through 6-5 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
The Reds were given a stern examination by Bristol City. They had defeated Everton who have a category one academy in the last 16 and they lived up to their reputation against Forest.
In the previous round, the Reds had overcome Derby County. Here, they went with a strong team with the club’s vice-captain Ryan Yates playing for 66 minutes as he steps up his recovery.
It was Hammond who stole the show, however. He produced a classy performance in the middle of the park and it was the 20-year-old who scored the winning penalty during the shootout.
This season has perhaps been a bit of a surprise one for Hammond. It was anticipated that he might move out on loan at some point. Instead, he’s been with the under-21s.
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Hammond is a player rated very highly by the club. Back in 2021, then u-18s coach Gareth Holmes called him ‘committed’ after he had put pen-to-paper on a professional contract with the club.
Forest youngsters through to semi-final and Hammond is starring for the Reds
The Wales youngster is growing at Forest but he does crave first-team football. It’s not clear when his contract at the City Ground expires but he does need some men’s action.
Forest have nurtured Hammond quite nicely. In 13 games for the under-21s this season, he’s scored three goals and claimed four assists from a central midfield role.
The talented player has got three first-team appearances to his name. Two of those came this season when he came on as a substitute in Carabao Cup games against Grimsby and Manchester United.
It’s not clear what the future holds for Hammond after this season. He would dearly love a chance at Forest and it remains to be seen if the Wales youth international receives one.