Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Sarah Clapson

How Nottingham Forest first-team trio played a part in FA Youth Cup win over Chelsea

A trio of Nottingham Forest first-team players, as well as boss Steve Cooper, spoke to the Reds’ Under-18s before their FA Youth Cup semi-final.

Joe Worrall, Ryan Yates and Brennan Johnson addressed Warren Joyce’s side in the dressing room before their clash with Chelsea at the City Ground. And the academy graduates sat in the stands to watch as Forest came from behind to win 3-1 in a dramatic final 10 minutes.

James Garner and Scott McKenna also took in the game, as did Cooper. And it will be Garner’s parent club, Manchester United, who the Reds face in the final, at Old Trafford.

Read more: Forest linked with summer transfer for free agent as Steve Cooper faces key decision

Read more: Forest timing their run 'perfectly' as future looks bright at the City Ground

Worrall, Yates and Johnson all have FA Youth Cup experience themselves, but this is the first time Forest have reached the final. The three players reflected on their experiences of the competition with Joyce’s current crop before Monday night’s match.

“They were supported by the first-team players, and the manager as well,” Joyce said. “We got three of the academy boys in - the skipper, Brennan and Yatesy - and they talked to the players before the game about their experiences. The gaffer was in there as well.

“It calms them down, but it also gives a reference point back to when those players were kids and how they felt in this situation. That’s a big help.

“It’s a good environment at the football club at the minute. It’s a family environment. Everyone is pulling together.

“The first-team are flying. The reserves are flying. And it just keeps our season going a little bit longer.

"It gives the boys a taster of what it's like to play for the first-team here. It was a really enjoyable night for them all.

"Going a goal down, against a side like Chelsea, they could have just given up and accepted defeat. But they don't know how to do that.

"We've worked hard from the start of the season. They've progressed from the start of the season.

"We're definitely the youngest team in the tournament - from the start, not just in this game. And we've got eight or nine Nottingham boys in the starting team, and more on the bench, who are desperate for the club to do well. They support the club, so it's massive for them.”

Did you watch the FA Youth Cup semi-final? Have your say in the comments below

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.