Morgan Gibbs-White is one of the most crucial cogs in the Nottingham Forest system, with the English midfielder closing in on a record at the City Ground.
Despite Chris Wood’s hattrick, Shay Given hailed Gibbs-White against Brighton as the most impressive player in the Forest squad that recorded a remarkable 7-0 win.
His nine-goal contributions in the Premier League this season have led to Forest fans wanting Gibbs-White called up to the England squad, with Nuno Espirito Santo relying on the former Wolves man as the link point between Forest’s solid defence and the prolific Wood.
Liverpool were linked with Gibbs-White as a result of his continued importance at the City Ground but for now, the midfield maestro will continue to impress under Espirito Santo as Forest want to offer Gibbs-White a new deal.
Gibbs-White himself also has an incentive to stick around at Forest, given how close he is to breaking a long-standing record at the club.
Morgan Gibbs-White nearing Nottingham Forest assist record
Currently, Gibbs-White has made five assists in the Premier League this season, following nicely on from creating ten goals last season and eight in his debut season at the City Ground under Steve Cooper.
With 22 assists, Gibbs-White is now second in the all-time Premier League assist table and edging closer to earning his own slice of Forest history.
After Stuart Pearce praised Anthony Elanga’s three assists against Brighton, the football world was brought to the attention of Elanga’s creative abilities, but Gibbs-White’s are equally impressive.
He didn’t get an assist in the Brighton game, but Gibbs-White did play six passes into the final third, highlighting just how he has managed to register so many assists at the City Ground.
The current record holder is Ian Woan on 27 assists, who left the club in 2000 after a decade at Forest. After Gibbs-White signed for Forest in 2022, he likely didn’t envisage breaking records at the club but his former boss Cooper always had faith in the 25-year-old thanks to a key attribute of his game
Steve Cooper noticed key Morgan Gibbs-White attribute in 2023
Evangelos Marinakis couldn’t have asked for any more from a signing than what he’s got from Gibbs-White after financing the move for Cooper, who managed Gibbs-White to England youth success.
Cooper was clearly a fan of Gibbs-White, with the former Forest manager speaking to Sky Sports about what he was doing to maximise the value of his midfield star in 2023.
Before being sacked by Forest, Cooper said: “He [Gibbs-White] thrives on the responsibility that he carries. For a young boy, I think that’s a good trait because he’s always going to be a player of a profile that can make a difference in games and with that, they have to carry that responsibility.
“In the end, it’s about him getting the best out of himself – that’s always the most important thing.”
Ben Foster has Gibbs-White in his team of the season for his displays at the City Ground, with the responsibilities that Espirito Santo has given him from a creative standpoint to carry on the progress he had made under Cooper at the heart of his standout performances.
Gibbs-White could well provide the six more assists needed to overtake Woan in the Forest assists chart before the end of the season, ensuring he has a legacy at the club that his performances have warranted since 2022.
Receive a digest of our best Nottingham Forest content each week direct to your mailbox
