Steve Cooper made a heap of signings at Nottingham Forest to ensure Premier League safety, but his first incoming at the City Ground has gone on to remarkable things.
As you can imagine, not all of Cooper’s Forest signings have been successful, emphasised by Jonathan Panzo moving on loan to Rio Ave in the summer after being signed by the ex-Reds boss but never actually making an appearance for the club.
More important are the hits, though. Murillo signed for Forest for £14m and has become an elite defensive prospect, with Cooper owed a level of credit for being the manager to give the Brazilian his first minutes in English football.
The most impactful was Morgan Gibbs-White, who has become Forest’s talisman after Cooper made him his marquee signing upon promotion. Cooper was a huge admirer of Gibbs-White and nurtured the vibrant English midfielder into the star he is now under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Amongst these tremendous successes, though, is Cooper’s first addition at the City Ground, a loan signing that played a telling role in Forest’s promotion to the Premier League.
Keinan Davis was Steve Cooper’s first Nottingham Forest signing
The 45-year-old was appointed in September 2021, so he was unable to make any additions to his Forest squad until January, where he wasted no time in securing the loan signing of Keinan Davis from Aston Villa.
Villa legend Gabby Agbonlahor waxed lyrical about Davis shortly after he signed for the Reds, and he was right to do so, given the strong impact he had on Forest’s promotion.
| Statistic | Keinan Davis for Nottingham Forest |
| Appearances | 22 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Assists | 3 |
For a temporary signing to bolster attacking options rather than be the outright star, eight goal contributions was a respectable return.
Steve Cook picked out Davis as an unsung hero, which showed he had the respect of the dressing room as well as from the influential members behind the scenes at the club as Forest attempted to sign Davis permanently after promotion.
However, the deal was never completed and Davis went on to struggle at Watford, seemingly sentencing him to a career of EFL moves as he attempted to recapture the form he showed under Cooper.
This was not the end of 27 year old, though, who has gone on to produce an incredible moment whilst plying his trade in the Italian top division.
Keinan Davis saved Serie A side Udinese from relegation last season
It’s perhaps surprising that Davis was picked up by Udinese in the Serie A, given that the club are owned by the same people who run Watford, where he struggled for form.
Davis suffered an early injury at Udinese, which seemed to be an early indicator of another failed move. However, the signing paid off for the Italian side in a big way as the powerful forward scored the goal that kept them in the top flight last season.
It was his first Udinese goal in the most incredible circumstances, smashing home from inside the box to secure safety for his teammates.
Speaking to the BBC about the career-defining moment, Davis said: “That was probably the best feeling I’ve ever had in football. In football, you get your respect on the field with your teammates, and not being able to do it was a bit difficult. But it was all worth it to score that goal – 100%.”
Davis may have never returned to the City Ground, but Forest fans will be absolutely delighted to see one of the heroes of the 2022 promotion starring away from the club, emphasising that Cooper made the right call in making Davis his first Forest signing.
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