Nottingham Forest signed Jota Silva in the summer from Vitoria and he’s set about trying to adjust to life in the Premier League.
When he arrived, many anticipated he’d be an adequate backup for Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga in the wide areas of the pitch.
Forest weren’t predicted to be doing as well as they are and Silva was backed as someone who could definitely do a job based on his early performances.
His first goal came in the Carabao Cup against Newcastle and he was handed a run of starts in the first half of the season, which he failed to grasp.
Silva’s brilliance has largely been from the bench. With Elanga and Hudson-Odoi hitting their straps, he’s been forced into a peripheral role, but it’s one he’s grasped of late.
Jota Silva matches 30-year record set by Jason Lee
Mention impact subs to Forest fans and memories will be evoked of Lee acting as the foil to the Stan Collymore and Bryan Roy partnership in the early Premier League years.
He held a record that has stood for 30 years, but now Silva has equalled it by scoring in recent games for Forest.
Silva has scored in three of his last four games, with all of his goals coming from the bench, something which hasn’t been done by a Forest player since Lee in the nineties.
The 27-year-old won’t want to be a substitute but ultimately, he’s not sulked and with Elanga going off last weekend, he might be in line for a start against Everton.
Jota Silva could earn Forest reprieve ahead of next season
The Reds will embark on European football in 2025/25, barring a collapse and Silva might just earn himself a chance to sparkle.
He has the experience of playing in Europe with Vitoria and Forest might just decide to keep him around at the club.
Sporting CP have been linked with Silva but Forest will want to enhance their squad as opposed to weakening it in the summer.
Options from the bench are worth their weight in gold and in recent weeks, Silva has proved that he’s a man tailor-made to provide that competition.
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