On this day in 2019, Nottingham Forest beat Stoke City 3-2 at the Bet365 Stadium to move top of the Championship under then-boss Sabri Lamouchi.
Goals from Lewis Grabban, Joe Lolley and Sammy Ameobi secured all three points for the Reds despite only registering four shots on target all game.
It is unimaginable how far Forest have progressed as a club within the last four years, but we take a trip down memory lane and take a look at where each member of the starting XI vs. Stoke is today…
Brice Samba
The goalkeeper went on to be a Forest hero helping the club reach the play-off final, with three penalty saves in the semi-final shootout against Sheffield United.
Samba now plays for French side RC Lens, who came second in Ligue 1 last season, with the 29-year-old featuring in the Champions League already this season.
Matty Cash
Like Samba, Matty Cash was a hit with the Forest supporters.
The now Polish international left the Reds to join Aston Villa for £15 million after the failed promotion push of the 2019/20 season.
He’s now a first-team regular for boss Unai Emery at Villa Park – starting every Premier League game this season.
Michael Dawson
The 39-year-old left Forest in 2021 upon the expiration of his contract, before announcing his retirement from football.
Dawson is now most notably a pundit on Sky Sports, often featuring on Gillette Soccer Saturday.
Joe Worrall
Defender Joe Worrall is the only player from the squad in that game four years ago, that remains a Nottingham Forest player.
He’s gone on to make over 200 appearances for his boyhood club, with Worrall also named as the club’s captain before the start of the Premier League campaign last season.
Jack Robinson
The now 30-year-old joined the Reds from QPR on a two-year-deal back in 2018, before leaving for an undisclosed fee to join Sheffield United in January 2020.
He’s gone on to make 75 appearances for the Blades, with a promotion and a relegation to and from the Premier League on his CV.
However, it is safe to say he’s no longer a favourite of the Forest fans…
Samba Sow
An absolute unit of a midfielder who was adored by the Forest supporters.
Samba Sow was an unknown quantity when he arrived in 2019, but he certainly made an impact on the field despite his injury struggles.
His injuries would get the better of him, as he left Forest for free in 2021, before joining Lens B – playing only five times before retiring from football in 2022.
Ben Watson
The experienced midfielder was nothing short of a revelation under boss Lamouchi.
Watson was out of favour before the Frenchman’s arrival, which saw a midfield partnership of Watson and Sow achieve a win percentage of 52% when they played together.
He left the Reds at the end of the 19/20 season, joining Charlton Athletic for free where he spent two years before announcing his retirement aged 37.
Sammy Ameobi
A signing that took many Forest fans by surprise after joining from relegated Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer.
He proved to be very solid over his two seasons at Forest, before also leaving for free to join Middlesbrough.
Ameobi failed to make a single appearance due to injury during the 2021/22 season and having signed a one-year deal, the 31-year-old left the club and is still without a club to this day.
Joao Carvalho
The man who was Forest club record signing until promotion to the Premier League.
The little Portuguese had moments of magic, but unfortunately never lived up to the £13.5 million price tag.
Now aged 26, Carvalho is utilised as a squad player at Olympiacos, also owned by Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Joe Lolley
The 31-year-old was extremely popular at the City Ground. He spent five successful years at the football club and at times during that period he was one of the best players in the EFL.
He fell out of favour under Steve Cooper and subsequently departed the club before the start of the Premier League campaign last season.
Last season he took the A-League by storm and proved one of the best players in the division. He scored six goals and claimed six assists as he became a fan favourite with Sydney FC.
Lewis Grabban
Lewis Grabban joined the Reds for £6 million from Bournemouth back in 2018, scoring 54 times in 114 appearances.
He was a key figure for many years for the Reds, despite multiple problems through injury.
The now 35-year-old left the Reds at the end of the 21/22 season after his contract expired, joining Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia on a one-year deal where he only featured five times.
Grabban still remains without a club.
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