Neco Williams reacts to Ryan Yates’ message as he reveals where he’ll be ‘next season’
Ryan Yates sent a message to Nottingham Forest’s fans after they qualified for the UEFA Conference League.
Forest‘s historic campaign ended on a bittersweet note after their 1-0 defeat by Chelsea on the Premier League’s final day denied them Champions League football, but significant strides have still been taken.
Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side have climbed from a lowly 17th-placed finish with just 32 points won (and four deducted) to an impressive seventh in the table; their 65 points more than double last season’s amount.
Although Forest’s failure to finish in the top five denies them the additional £70million windfall that Champions League qualification would have brought, few expected such a level of improvement this term.
Nottingham Forest ‘journey’ begins in new Yates message
Forest’s squad has certainly been through plenty of churn since their promotion to the Premier League three years ago, but club captain Yates is one of few players who has stayed the course throughout.
Yates signed a new deal last summer to stay put at the City Ground until 2028, and although Nicolas Dominguez and Elliot Anderson became Nuno’s preferred pair in midfield, he’ll lead them into Europe next season.
The 27-year-old posted on Instagram (27 May) to reflect on Forest’s season, and in a selection of images which Neco Williams applauded in the comments, Yates said: “From battling in the Championship to earning our place in European football – all in just three seasons. What a journey!
“Every player gave everything, every member of staff worked relentlessly behind the scenes and you fans never stopped believing.
“We’ve come a long way — but this is just the beginning. See you next season.”
Nottingham Forest set for sizeable summer transfer spree
Although Evangelos Marinakis had planned for Forest to take their place in the Champions League next season – with signings to match – the Tricky Trees will likely still spend big as they prepare for Europe.
Last summer’s shrewd business to bring in the likes of Nikola Milenkovic has reaped significant rewards, and Forest fans will be hopeful Nuno and Marinakis can follow that up with another successful summer.
Failure to reach the Champions League could put paid to Forest’s hopes of keeping Morgan Gibbs-White this summer, but with moves for the likes of Brentford striker Yoane Wissa already lined up, expect plenty of activity as the Reds prepare to fight on two fronts.