It was the talk of the summer – is he staying, is he going? But Nottingham Forest ace Joe Lolley has moved to address any fears he might have been keen on a move elsewhere.
A standout season for the Reds saw the winger attract almost as many admirers as he did accolades. Most notably, of course, from the club he supported as a boy, Aston Villa.
Dean Smith’s side were understood to have taken an interest in Lolley after securing promotion to the Premier League, with rumours of a £10m bid being in the offing.
And the likes of Crystal Palace, Watford and West Bromwich Albion were also said to be keen.
But the 26-year-old seemingly barely batted an eyelid as the summer transfer window came and went.
With at the City Ground as Sabri Lamouchi replaced Martin O’Neill, 12 new faces through the door and a promotion push to plot, Lolley insists he did not have time to consider any speculation about his future.
“To be honest, there was so much happening here that I didn’t really give it too much thought,” he said.
“It’s for me to just concentrate on pre-season, adapting to the new manager’s ideas, getting fit and trying to build up a base for the season.
“I just put everything else to the back of my head. I didn’t think about it.
“It was quite easy.
“Pre-season is probably a great time as well, because it’s full on with long days. There isn’t much time to be thinking about other things and what not.
“I’ve got too much to concentrate on here rather than thinking about things that might or might not happen.”
Lolley put pen to paper on a new deal with Forest back in February, signing fresh terms until 2023 – reward for a sparkling run of form.
He has made it clear in the past that he sees his future on the banks of the River Trent, enjoying regular game time and the chance to chase top-flight football in the Garibaldi.
And he says nothing has changed on that front as he remains committed to the Reds.
“Nothing’s changed,” Lolley said.
“I’m still happy here, I’m still enjoying it; it’s just the same as last season. It’s exactly the same as I said last year.
“The focus is on staying here and getting promoted with Nottingham Forest.”
Lolley had his own personal goal of the season competition last term as the sight of him terrorising defences and unleashing rocket shots became a regular occurrence.
His standout moment was undoubtedly his contribution to the 5-5 draw at Villa Park in November, when he set up four of his team’s goals and scored the other in typically sensational fashion.
In total, he finished with a tally of 12 goals from 51 appearances and weighed in with 11 assists in the league as he established himself as a key figure for the Reds.
It was no surprise to see him nominated for Championship Player of the Month on more than one occasion, while there was some bemusement that he was left out of the Football League’s team of the season for the second tier.
And the transfer gossip inevitably followed.
Lolley accepts that is the flip side to performing well, even if it is “flattering”.
“It’s always good, in that respect and it’s always flattering if you hear people are interested. It means you are doing well,” said the former Huddersfield Town man.
“You’d rather it be that way the people trying to get rid of you!
“In that respect it is nice, but it doesn’t play too much in my head.”
