Nottingham Forest will forever be indebted to the brilliant work of Steve Cooper.
Nuno Espirito Santo might have picked up the baton when it comes to moving Forest on an upward trajectory in the Premier League, but it was Cooper who ended a 23-year hiatus from the top-flight.
Cooper took the job at Leicester last season but didn’t last long amid a backdrop of criticism from the Foxes fan base, who simply couldn’t get beyond the fact that he was ex-Forest.
However, there is a very capable Championship manager in Cooper, and now, he could be on the cusp of returning to the game with a second-tier outfit.
Steve Cooper on the shortlist for Middlesbrough job
On Wednesday afternoon, Middlesbrough opted to sack Michael Carrick after the former Manchester United midfielder failed to get the team into the play-offs.
Now, it’s claimed by Graeme Bailey that Cooper is on the shortlist for the Boro job, and he’s considered someone rated very highly by the board.
Cooper’s record in the Championship is pretty impressive and has always reached the play-offs when he’s been in charge of a second-tier club.
It’s been several years since Boro graced the Premier League, and now he joins a shortlist with Rob Edwards and Jon Dahl Tomasson when it comes to getting the Middlesbrough job.
Cooper working with UEFA
Although he hasn’t been on a training ground on a daily basis, Cooper has been keeping his mind busy with a role away from the pitch.
Cooper has been working for UEFA as a technical director and has been present at a number of Champions League games this season.
He’s been the man responsible for analysing games thoroughly and then picking the official UEFA Man of the Match.
As cushty as the job sounds, Cooper will be itching to get back into management and a club like Boro with a decent squad and a solid fan base could be the ideal project for him.
Receive a digest of our best Nottingham Forest content each week direct to your mailbox
