‘Top professional’… Nuno really pleased for 29-year-old Nottingham Forest player after shootout win

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Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo delivered praise to Matt Turner after last night’s win over Bristol City.

The boss was speaking with Nottinghamshire live after a 5-3 victory on penalties.

So, what did Espirito Santo say about the performance of Turner as Forest prevailed? Let’s take a closer look…

What Nuno Espirito Santo said about Matt Turner after Forest win

Well, the goalkeeping situation has provided a bit of a conundrum at Forest this season, with Espirito Santo taking action in January.

Matz Sels signed for Forest from Strasbourg and he made his debut as the Reds drew with Bournemouth 1-1 at the weekend.

Turner was restored to the starting eleven last night, however, with Sels ineligible to play in the FA Cup.

The 29-year-old played reasonably well, although as Michael Brown pointed out, Turner might have done better with the goal which Forest conceded.

Turner did come up trumps in the shootout, however, saving the spot kick taken by Sam Bell to earn Forest a date with Manchester United.

Espirito Santo was pleased with the backup goalkeeper and praised him after the game.

He told Nottinghamshire Live: “It has to give him confidence. We know it’s not easy for him after the decision we took to change in the Premier League, but his response is of a top professional.”

Turner must now wait for next opportunity

Sels will be available for the fifth-round clash with Manchester United and this might have been Turner’s last game of the season.

The new recruit will definitely be the number one going forward and Turner will now have to wait for his next Forest opportunity.

Turner signed for the club in the summer for £10 million from Arsenal and he’s made 18 appearances for the Reds.

Errors have riddled his performances and Forest had to make the decision to land a new goalkeeper during the window.

Turner was a late bloomer in his career and when he signed for Forest at a time when a number one wasn’t obvious, it did come as a surprise.

In our view, the 29-year-old deserves praise for his exploits last night – but we have to concede that Espirito Santo was right to land a new Forest number one.

Turner now faces an anxious wait to see if he gets another chance to play for Forest this season.