Nottingham Forest completed a remarkable coup when they managed to tempt Callum Hudson-Odoi to swap Chelsea for the City Ground in 2023.
Hudson-Odoi had lost his way a little bit. Once touted as a £70 million player, an Achilles injury ensured 18 months of injury hell and a failed loan spell with Bayer Leverkusen left him at a crossroads.
Enter Nottingham Forest – and Steve Cooper. The former Forest head coach managed Hudson-Odoi when the England under-17s won the World Cup in 2017 and he handed him a chance to rediscover himself.
The 23-year-old has grasped the opportunity with both hands. He scored eight goals last season as Forest avoided relegation and he’s growing as a footballer on Trentside.
Hudson-Odoi scored the winning goal against Liverpool earlier this month and he’s now looking to hit his straps again this season under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Callum Hudson-Odoi shares what wowed him at Nottingham Forest
It did come as a surprise when Forest convinced Hudson-Odoi to sign for the club after he’d spent so long at Chelsea coming through the youth ranks.
Playing football was clearly paramount for the player though and ultimately, he’s been given a chance to do that on Trentside.
It wasn’t until Hudson-Odoi arrived at Forest, however, that he realised just how big the club was.
He told the Daily Mail: “You know I didn’t realise until the day I came here to sign. I did the tour round, saw the two Champions League trophies on display and I was like, ‘Wow, big club, massive history’. You realise it when you see that.
“It was a big moment for me, because, you know I have one of those nice things myself too…”
Hudson-Odoi was a Nottingham Forest bargain
The talented winger was a surprise signing when the Reds managed to get a deal over the line and he’s thrived under regular football once again.
Forest paid an astonishing £3 million to sign Hudson-Odoi and if the time does come to sell him, significant profit will be made.
The Reds are seeing a player who works tirelessly whenever he’s on the pitch and even in training footage from the club, he always has a smile on his face.
Hudson-Odoi clearly appreciates that Forest took him on at a time when clubs weren’t exactly queuing up to take him and he’s a better player for it now.
The player will dearly love to get back on the goal trail as the season progresses but his recent strike against Liverpool will live long in the memory of Forest fans.
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