There is nobody withing the ranks at Nottingham Forest who divides opinion quite like central midfielder Ryan Yates.
The 26-year-old has played in the top five divisions of English football and is now proving himself as a Premier League player.
Technical ability is a list that Yates will never sit at the top of but when it comes to being a nuisance he stands in a league of his own.
Jamie Carragher hailed Yates for being a nuisance in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea during the 2022/23 campaign.
The midfielder has impressed pretty much every manager he’s played for with Martin O’Neill the first to really include Yates on a more frequent basis.
Forest have made a strong start to the season under Nuno Espirito Santo and sit tenth in the Premier League after seven games.
A host of new signings have been forced to settle in at the club and as the club captain, it would seem as though Yates has been instrumental in that.
Ryan Yates helped one summer signing settle at Nottingham Forest
The midfielder has grown as a player and it’s quite interesting that he’s really started to look like a player since Forest reached the Premier League.
Yates is the longest-serving player currently in the dressing room and Espirito Santo understands what he brings to the team.
During the summer transfer window, Forest managed to prise Elliot Anderson away from Newcastle as the Magpies fought against PSR issues.
Now, The Athletic claims that Yates has taken it upon himself to help Anderson settle not just at Forest but in Nottingham also.
Anderson was the Player of the Match for England under-21s last night and he’s started life at the City Ground very well.
Together, Forest have two real workhorses in Yates and Anderson who in tandem could help the club progress this season
Yates and Anderson compliment each other nicely at Forest
What Yates lacks in technical ability he more than makes up for with heart and desire to constantly give his all.
Anderson possesses the work rate of Yates but he also has the technical side of things to call upon in possession of the ball too.
Together the two should compliment each other quite nicely and there’s a chance they could play together in midfield against Crystal Palace on Monday.
Yates is turning into a fine performer for Forest and hopefully, he can now gain some consistency and silence all of his doubters once and for all.
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