The Nottingham Forest senior team are doing superbly well in the Premier League right now but it’s fair to say that the kids are alright too.
Forest didn’t do much in January on the transfer front. Joel Ndala was added to the B-Team from Manchester City on a six-month loan, whilst Tyler Bindon joined from Reading and returned to the Royals on loan for the campaign.
Emphasis was placed on the future and that pretty much sums Forest up. The club’s academy is something that the fan base is unanimously in favour of with the club raking in millions in transfer fees over the year.
It’s only 18 months ago that Forest collected a cool £47.5 million for Brennan Johnson. Now, the club are placing extra effort into the academy ranks to try and find the next player to walk in the shoes of the homegrown talent in the future.
Forest have a host of players out on loan this season. Joe Gardner was sent off on his Lincoln debut, whilst Ben Perry has joined Northampton and Esapa Osong is fighting to get fit so he can resume his time at Cambridge.
Media deliver intriguing verdict on Forest gem Dale Taylor
One academy player who has actually made a senior outing for Forest is Dale Taylor. He made a single substitute appearance when Steve Cooper was leading the Reds on a promotion charge during the 2021/22 campaign.
Last season he spent time with Wycombe. Taylor scored at Wembley in the EFL Trophy Final defeat to Peterborough and before that, he spent some time on a temporary deal with Burton Albion where he scored five goals.
In the summer, the Reds let him join Wigan and he’s been performing in decent fashion for the Latics. Taylor has bagged seven goals for the League One outfit this term with his latest strike coming during a 1-1 draw against Crawley last night.
After the game, Wigan Today delivered an intriguing take, awarding him an 8/10 for his efforts and saying: “On another day he could easily have had four goals, so much onus on him for output not but, on this form, he is more than capable.”
Dale Taylor stats 2024/25
It’s proved a really positive loan spell for Taylor so far. In all three loan spells away from Forest he’s showcased that he’s not fazed by men’s football and he could make an impact at the City Ground in the future.
At 21-years-old, Taylor will want to be playing regularly in the years to come. If that doesn’t come at Forest with the club now in the Premier League, he will seek opportunities elsewhere and perhaps the Championship is the next step for him.
| Dale Taylor stats 2024/25 | Total |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Goals | 7 |
| Assists | 7 |
| Shots | 34 |
| Successful Dribbles | 23 |
Taylor has done well for Wigan during the current campaign. He’s playing week in and week out for the Latics and in Shaun Maloney he has a manager who clearly values what he’s bringing to the team.
The young forward was signed for Forest as a talented teenager. He made waves in the academy ranks and was integral as Forest reached the FA Youth Cup Final during the 2021/22 campaign before losing to Manchester United.
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