Nottingham Forest fans have already seen the likes of Brennan Johnson and Ryan Yates emerge, and it appears that there is another promising prospect on the way.
Nuno Espirito Santo has never been afraid to give young players a chance at Nottingham Forest, with Zach Abbott getting a shot in the Carabao Cup earlier this season.
It is a policy that has worked successfully for Nottingham Forest throughout the years. Ryan Yates, the club’s captain, is currently one of the most significant players on the team.
Brennan Johnson is another example. He worked his way up the ranks before joining Tottenham Hotspur for £47.5 million.
Interestingly, it appears that there may be a new possible future star in the Forest ranks, as Nuno Espirito Santo has called up a 17-year-old to practice with the first squad during the international break.
Zyan Blake spotted training with the Nottingham Forest first-team
Zyan Blake is a name that Nottingham Forest supporters may hear a lot of in the coming years.
The teenager secured his first professional contract with Nottingham Forest just four days after being named to the bench for the B Team’s Bristol Street Motors match against Wigan Athletic.
He has recently established himself as a prominent member of the U18 squad, playing as a left winger.
His hard effort has paid off, as Nuno Espirito Santo has given him the opportunity to shine against the first team in training over the international break.
Nottingham Forest fan @Grantnffc1 tweeted the image on Twitter, and the club confirmed he’s been with the first squad.
Nottingham Forest’s youth approach
Interestingly, Nottingham Forest has their own emerging star program, in which they select people with potential and send them through a specific curriculum.
Here is what Craig Mulholland said:
“We have something called the ‘TPPP’ (talented player performance plan).
“Some athletes will be recognized as high-potential talents. It is our responsibility to truly push them. If the next Brennan Johnson emerges, we must speed his learning. We delve deeper.
“A personalized performance dashboard displays key areas such as psychology, nutrition, performance, coaching, health and wellness, analysis, and pathway.
“These reports will demonstrate if there are any areas where we need to push that kid to ensure he becomes a first-team player.
“We provide wellness questionnaires every morning, and the players wear Oura Rings that measure their heart rate. We monitor their stress and anxiety levels 24 hours a day.
“They download that every night and our psychologist and wellbeing team can monitor it and see, for example, if a player is not sleeping well before games.”
