Nottingham Forest might be struggling at the first team level, but 2025 can still be one to look back on with fondness, particularly from an academy perspective.
The team’s under-21 outfit won the Premier League International Cup in 2024/25 and it’s also been a largely successful year for the under-18s behind the scenes too.
Despite the successes of the first-team, Forest haven’t taken their eye off the ball from an academy sense and the likes of Warren Joyce and Andy Reid continue to work with the club’s emerging talents.
With that in mind, and with 2025 now consigned to the history books, we looked at three of the top-performing players in the academy during the last 12 months.
The three best academy players at Nottingham Forest in 2025
Adam Berry
The former Manchester United youth player has really kicked on at Forest in 2025, scoring five goals so far this season.
Berry has been in fine form for the B-Team during the 2025/26 campaign and has managed to hold down the attacking midfield spot.
Last summer, Berry signed a one-year extension to his contract, and he will be out of contract next summer, with the club perhaps looking to make a decision in the coming months.
Berry would deserve another deal at the City Ground, and at 19-years-old, perhaps he’s one to watch when it comes to stepping up to the first-team ranks.
Archie Whitehall
Forest’s very own Ryan Yates in the making, has enjoyed an excellent campaign with the B-Team, stepping up to make the bench for the Reds’ Europa League campaign.
Whitehall has captained the academy ranks on a number of occasions and has the respect of his peers and the coaching staff within the academy ranks.
Whitehall is a ball-playing midfielder with a physical presence in the middle of the pitch, and quite clearly, he’s got a chance of making it at first-team level.
The next challenge for Whitehall is to get on the pitch for one of the games where he’s included as a substitute, and there is every sense that he will enjoy a bright future in the game.
Kalum Thompson
Thompson signed for Forest from Linfield, and he’s been busy playing for both the under-18s and the B-Team as he acclimates to life playing football in England.
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The 17-year-old is going well so far, however, scoring seven goals and claiming six assists during his first season at the football club, with his future looking really bright.
Thompson still has a little way to go before he’s knocking on the door of the first-team ranks, but ultimately, he’s made a great start to life at the academy and he looks to be a real find.
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