Steve Cooper is at the top of the list to replace Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough, and he could take five of his most trusted Nottingham Forest servants to help win promotion to the Premier League.
Middlesbrough have shortlisted Cooper as they look to replace the outgoing Carrick, with the former Forest manager’s promotion pedigree a clear plus on his CV.
Carrick’s dismissal has been coming for a while after the Championship side missed out on the play-offs, and Boro fans have already backed Cooper as their preferred candidate, so a move to bring him seems to make sense for all parties.
Should he arrive at the Riverside Stadium this summer, Cooper could look to take a number of his ex-Forest players with him to help secure another Championship promotion.
Five past and present Nottingham Forest stars who could join Steve Cooper at Middlesbrough
Harry Toffolo
Harry Toffolo is out of contract at Forest this summer and with no news on a renewal, the dependable left-back could well be tempted to join Cooper in the Championship.
After playing against Forest for Huddersfield in the 2022 play-off final, Cooper signed Toffolo for Forest. He may not have started every week in the Premier League under Cooper or Nuno Espírito Santo, but Toffolo has been a reliable option when required on the left side of defence.
This reliability and experience could be exactly what Cooper would be looking for at Middlesbrough, making a move for Toffolo seem logical if Cooper secures the role.
Lewis O’Brien
They might need to clear the air about his underwhelming Forest spell, but Lewis O’Brien is a top Championship talent and would be an asset to Cooper at Boro.
Cooper signed O’Brien from Huddersfield alongside Toffolo, but the midfielder never held down a place in the Forest squad. O’Brien went on loan to D.C. United and then to Boro under Carrick, never making another appearance for the Reds under either Cooper or Espírito Santo.
However, Cooper was always a fan of the 26-year-old, who has again shown his worth in the Championship on loan at Swansea City for the second half of the season.
O’Brien wants to stay at Swansea but could well be tempted by a reunion with Cooper if a promotion push is on the cards.
Scott McKenna
Scott McKenna played 51 times for Forest in the promotion season, showing the quality and availability that any Championship side needs to make it out of the division.
Therefore, Cooper could do much worse than to turn to the Scottish centre-back as a leader at Boro. McKenna was relegated with Las Palmas after leaving Forest at the end of last season, so a return to English football seems probable.
His man-of-the-match display in the 2022 play-off final will still be in the mind of Cooper, something he’d love the 28-year-old to replicate at Boro.
Max Lowe
Cooper never managed to sign left-back Max Lowe permanently for Forest, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the former Reds boss go back for Lowe at Boro.
On loan at Forest in the 21/22 season, Cooper was a big fan of Lowe after the full-back registered four assists in 21 appearances, before returning to Sheffield United after a permanent deal was never agreed.
Lowe left The Blades last season to join city rivals Sheffield Wednesday, where he has often played at centre-back. However, Wednesday aren’t in the strongest financial position, so Cooper could move in to secure the long-admired left-back.
Joe Worrall
If McKenna would be a smart addition, reuniting the Scot with Joe Worrall could create an imperious defence for Cooper’s Boro.
Worrall’s relationship with Cooper is strained after the centre-back lost his place at Forest in the Premier League, but a quiet spell at Burnley could see Worrall interested in reuniting with Cooper for another promotion push.
The 28-year-old only made nine Championship appearances for Scott Parker and Burnley so if Worrall and Cooper can resolve their issues, the pair could taste success together once more.
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