It’s a nationwide opinion among football fans that the Nottingham Forest Academy ranks are among the very best in the country.
A Category One status means that the academy is among the best in the country at Forest and Premier League competitions are competed in.
For the last two seasons, Forest have competed in the EFL Trophy and that competition took centre stage again last night.
Earlier in the campaign, Forest claimed a last-gasp win over Carlisle United in the competition and those three points were secured in style.
Last night there was no such luck, with Forest relinquishing the lead twice to lose 4-2 against the EFL’s bottom-placed club Morecambe.
Kyle McAdam starred during the last round of matches and he was once against starting last night.
Fin Back and an own goal from Paul Lewis saw Forest lead twice but a Ben Tollitt brace, Charlie Brown and Hallam Hope saw the hosts home.
Once again there were some top performers though and Nuno Espirito Santo might enjoy looking through the tape of this one.
Joe Gardner shows why he impressed Nuno Espirito Santo last season
Gardner was once again in the thick of the action last night and he surely will be knocking on the door to go out on loan in January.
The youngster impressed James Perch in the first round of EFL Trophy games and he was in fine form again last night.
He was Forest’s top performer during the contest and we saw him looking lively throughout the clash playing as the striker.
Forest adopted a 4-2-3-1 – akin to that which Espirito Santo likes to utilise for the senior ranks and it seemed to suit Gardner.
Sofa Score showcased our thoughts entirely, rating him as the team’s best player and highlighting that he completed six of his seven dribbles on the night.
He also had 54 touches of the ball and completed 21 of the 26 passes that he attempted.
Gardner clearly wasn’t fazed by playing against men either and won 11 of the 16 ground duels that he contested in the game.
Gardner has the attributes to go all the way
For any young player the challenge of playing senior football at Forest will be harder, the longer the club remains in the Premier League.
However, Espirito Santo has been keen to give the young lads some confidence by using them sparingly.
Zach Abbott is currently on England under-19 duty and he’s played in the Carabao Cup this season.
- READ MORE: Nottingham Forest under-21s season 2024/25
Elsewhere, goalkeeper Aaron Bott is now very much the third-choice stopper and travels to games with the team frequently.
Gardner could be the one that really convinces Espirito Santo to give him a crack in the team going forward.
He played for the Reds in the FA Cup last season and clearly, the gaffer knows all about his strengths .
Forest have Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi as their two strikers and an injury to one of those could propel Gardner into action.
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