Nottingham Forest finally ticked off a win on home soil on Monday night with the Reds overcoming Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Nuno Espirito Santo started a three-match touchline ban but his team still managed to put a smile on his face as he sat in the Director’s Box.
Forest won the game courtesy of a Chris Wood goal and afterwards, he took some praise from Ally McCoist for his continued efforts in the Garibaldi.
The Reds did have to ride their luck at times. Matz Sels was inspired for Forest between the posts and made seven saves on the night.
Adrian Durham picked out Elliot Anderson for Forest and ultimately it goes to show just how far the club have come in such a short space of time.
Ian Wright would pay to watch one Nottingham Forest star
Since winning promotion to the Premier League, Forest have had to stand by and listen to a number of pundits and so-called experts bemoan certain aspects of the club.
Micah Richards and Alan Shearer have already changed their pre-season predictions on the Reds – and they aren’t the only pundits who already have egg on their faces.
One man who has often been positive about Forest, however, is Wright and he’s praised one player in particular.
Four Premier League clubs wanted Murillo in the summer but Evangelos Marinakis stood firm and decided to keep hold of the central defender.
Wright is a huge fan and has now confessed that he’d dig deep into his own pockets just to watch the Forest star in action.
He said on the Wrighty’s House Podcast: “I just don’t want Forest to ever substitute Murillo. Ever! Honestly, again in the game, he did a couple of things at centre-back, picking up the ball and driving forward.
“But, I just thought to myself if I’m paying to watch football in this time when everything seems so robotic, to see a player just doing things, trying to nutmeg people in his own half and then turning and doing that Maradona turn, coming out and passing through lines, that’s what you pay to see.
“It was brilliant to watch from Murillo, he’s playing how I envisage football to be played.”
Murillo will play at the highest level during his career
At 22-years-old the Reds defender is set for stardom on the grandest stage of them all when the time is right.
He cost Forest £10.6 million when he arrived from Corinthians and Manchester City had looked at Murillo first.
Another season at Forest should do his development the world of good and it’s not unfair to say that there are still imperfections in his performances.
However, Wright is correct to point out that for a central defender, he is somewhat unique and there are few others with the audacity to try the things that he does.
At some point, Forest will have to wave goodbye to Murillo but that is merely the nature of the beast given where the club sits in the food chain.
It’s thought that the player is valued at £70 million by Forest and that will at least ensure significant profit is made on any deal that the club can do.
For now, Murillo is with Forest, however, and hopefully he can continue producing the goods in the short term.
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