The Nottingham Forest B-Team made history on Tuesday night by reaching the Premier League International Cup final for the very first time.
Forest needed extra time to defeat Athletic Bilbao but earned a place in the final when Archie Whitehall and Manni Norkett scored during the extra 30 minutes.
The Reds, led by Warren Joyce and Lewis Grabban, will now face either Fulham or Lyon in the final to be played before the end of the season.
It’s the first time that Forest have ever entered this competition and earned a chance to play in it through their Category One academy status, which the club have worked very hard to maintain.
The youngsters did the club proud by reaching the final, but one player in particular stood out, and he might find himself knocking on Nuno Espirito Santo’s door in the coming years.
Nottingham Forest starlet Zach Abbott stars vs Athletic Bilbao
It’s been a solid year for Abbott, who is training daily with the first-team stars and has also found himself on the bench in the Premier League in recent weeks.
Abbott was back in action last night for the B-Team, and he flexed his credentials to one day become a first-team star with a dominant performance.
The youngster was in fine form at the heart of the Forest rearguard and helped preserve a clean sheet as the Reds overcame a strong Bilbao team.
Abbott headed everything that came his way and he also showcased the ability to bring the ball out from the back, with the work he’s done with the first team clearly paying dividends.
Abbott can prove the pathway at Forest is clear
Espirito Santo will be under no illusions of just how much the academy ranks at Forest means to the people of Nottingham.
As a result, it’s no surprise he’s called upon Abbott to sit on the bench as a backup this season, and he looks like being the next cab off the rank.
Abbott admitted that he’s fond of Nikola Milenkovic before last night’s game, and it’s clear that training with Premier League players is helping his game.
The future looks seriously bright for Abbott – and for Forest – with the young defender now dreaming of lifting a trophy with the B-Team this season.
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