Tyler Bindon isn’t just impressing Nottingham Forest fans whilst on loan at Reading but is showing his remarkable talent whilst on international duty with New Zealand.
Bindon was named New Zealand’s rising sporting star mere weeks after signing for Forest on transfer deadline day in February and has continued to back up his pedigree ever since.
On loan in League One, Bindon delivered a Murillo-esque performance against Birmingham City showing his excellent ability on the ball for a player standing at six foot three.
Reading fans expect Bindon to excel in the Premier League and his performances on the international stage for New Zealand are perhaps an indicator of this, racking up double-digit senior appearances for the All Whites at just 20.
His latest was the 7-0 win over Fiji on Friday, in which Bindon notched his second international goal, leading to the media questioning how quickly he could transition into a star at the City Ground.
Tyler Bindon discusses his ‘very exciting’ Nottingham Forest future
Reading fans had Forest immediately excited about Bindon based on how they reacted to the confirmation of the signing but truthfully, little was known about if and when the Kiwi would impact Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans.
His performances have continued to impress, though, so perhaps the 20-year-old may end up starring in the Forest squad sooner than thought, something that Bindon has remained cautious about.
Speaking to iHeart in New Zealand, Bindon was asked about how he sees his club future panning out after his Reading loan expires.
Bindon said: “It all depends really, I’m most likely not going for preseason and then depending on how they see me, I could either get loaned out or stay with the squad and see what happens from there. So it’s all uncertain, but it’s all very exciting.”
Reading fans will read that quote and hope that the Kiwi could return on loan there once more, but given how he has impressed at every turn since signing for Forest, who’s to say he doesn’t do the exact same thing in preseason?
Another factor that could see Bindon stay at Forest is the influence of Chris Wood, his New Zealand captain who clearly acts as an inspiration for the young defender.
Tyler Bindon has lauded ‘living legend’ Chris Wood
Not to be outdone by Bindon, Wood scored a hattrick of headers against Fiji in just an hour, earning a rest ahead of the World Cup qualifying final against New Caledonia.
Bizarrely, Wood was yellow-carded for signing autographs after being substituted, something that Bindon also commented on with the media.
He said: “I did see a few things on social media saying that he’s got a yellow just for signing some autographs, which I thought was quite funny. But I don’t know.”
Asked to reflect on Wood’s influence on the national squad, Bindon continued: I think it’s quite hard if I’m honest. You know, he’s like a living legend that you get to play with every day. I think that would be the best terminology for it.”
We’ll see if the defender can make an immediate impact at the City Ground but with Wood signed to a new Forest contract, his international captain will be there to support and guide Bindon through adapting to the Premier League.
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