Nuno Espirito Santo delivers intriguing verdict on Zach Abbott ahead of Nottingham Forest vs Brentford

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Nottingham Forest were beaten 2-0 by Manchester City on Sunday to miss out on a first FA Cup final since 1991.

The Reds lost courtesy of goals from Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol, with Forest left to rue a number of missed chances during the 90 minutes.

Stuart Pearce felt that Nuno Espirito Santo will hold some regrets about the performance and the team selection once the dust settles on the semi-final defeat.

It proved to be a huge day for young Forest defender Zach Abbott, who started the game at right-back for his first start for the senior ranks since August.

He did extremely well on the day, and Espirito Santo has now paid tribute to the talented young defender after his heroics at Wembley.

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Nuno Espirito Santo delivers verdict on Zach Abbott performance vs Manchester City

Sunday will prove to be a day that Abbott will never forget as he starts out on a career that appears to promise so much potential.

The academy graduate looks to be the next player off the long conveyor belt of talent at the City Ground, and there will definitely be more to follow in the future.

The Forest head coach was quizzed on the talented teenager in his pre-match press conference ahead of playing Brentford on Thursday and it’s fair to say he’s impressed.

Espirito Santo said: “Zach is a young lad who has been working with us since the end of last season. He’s working with the squad, and he’s an international with England under-19. He was ready.

“He has quality, and he did well. It was not an easy game for him; it’s the first time he’s been involved in a big occasion, and I think the team helped him. I’m happy for him, he finished the game in a bad place fitness-wise wise but he’s an option for sure.”

Zach Abbott stats vs Manchester City

It was a seriously big call for Espirito Santo to make by ignoring the experienced Alex Moreno and instead choosing to throw Abbott into the spotlight.

Abbott has a really bright future and he didn’t look fazed by facing such a good team on the grandest stage at the weekend.

With Neco Williams set to return from suspension against Brentford, his chances of keeping his place do feel slim but he will be better for this experience.

Abbott looks like one to watch next season at Forest and perhaps the defender has now showcased that he can be trusted to play in a number of positions going forward.