Nuno Espirito Santo makes Steve Cooper claim that will surprise many Nottingham Forest fans

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Nuno Espirito Santo has proved himself a bit of a miracle worker since arriving at Nottingham Forest.

The Reds’ head coach has overseen a remarkable transformation this season, with Forest currently sitting pretty in third place in the Premier League table.

On Tuesday, Forest put Manchester United to the sword, with Anthony Elanga getting praise from Rio Ferdinand after scoring the winning goal.

It was the third time in succession that Forest have won in the Premier League and clearly, the team are up for the fight of reaching the Champions League.

One clear and obvious factor of Forest this season is that the team spirit within the camp is sky high and Espirito Santo has claimed that’s not all down to him.

• READ MORE: Murillo gives Anthony Elanga a new nickname after goal vs United

Nuno Espirito Santo makes Steve Cooper claim

The Reds have had a good atmosphere behind the scenes for some time and Espirito Santo has seemingly confirmed it today.

Forest face Aston Villa on Saturday and ahead of that huge clash, Espirito Santo has praised Steve Cooper for his part in the bond between the players behind the scenes.

He said in his press conference: “Even before we arrived, when we joined, we found a group of players, as a club we had problems, but we had a group of players and Steve left that legacy of a good working environment and a good atmosphere, that’s what we found.

“We’ve just had to try and continue and improve that legacy again, creating a better atmosphere from winning so that the players have more time together, we’ve just tried to continue what we’ve found.”

Nuno Espirito Santo vs Steve Cooper at Nottingham Forest

Espirito Santo served a touchline in November when Forest went to Leicester and claimed a 3-1 victory.

Cooper was sacked by Leicester not long after and now awaits his next project, which will undoubtedly come during the summer.

Forest can look back on some really good times with Cooper at the helm but Espirito Santo has taken the club to another level during his time in charge.

The comparisons between the two are probably somewhat flawed but finally, Espirito Santo does seem to be getting his flowers, just as Cooper did during the good time of his tenure.