Nottingham Forest striker Lewis Grabban is very much focused on the here and now - but he also has one eye on the future.
The 32-year-old has been the Reds’ talisman in their promotion push this season, notching 17 goals as they have climbed the Championship table.
And while he hopes to keep going for some time yet, Grabban believes the club have the man who will one day replace him already in their ranks.
Tyler Walker returned from his loan spell at Lincoln City in January, with his more senior teammate eager to help continue his development.
“It’s nice. Me and him did some forward work the other day; it’s nice to have someone with you for a change,” said Grabban.
“Tyler is a good lad. He’s still learning. He’s ambitious and he wants to do well.
“If he can come on a few more times, get a couple more goals, that will be great for the team as well.
“I think naturally it happens that you help the younger players.
“A lot of stuff Tyler doesn’t know yet, I know from experience, so if I’m able to give him little pieces of advice here and there to help him improve, that’s great.
“He’s the next generation and hopefully will be the next one in line, after myself, for this club.
“It would be nice for him and the club to produce someone that will play week in, week out.
“He’s learning and developing at the moment.
“I think it’s good that he’s with us.”
Walker had been in red-hot form for the League One Imps in the first half of the campaign, racking up 16 goals in 34 games.
He has previously had loan spells at Mansfield Town, Bolton Wanderers, Port Vale, Stevenage and Burton Albion.
But the Nigel Doughty Academy product marked his return to the City Ground this time around by scoring in the 2-0 win over Leeds United last month.
Although he may not be a regular in the starting XI in the Garibaldi this term, Grabban believes just being around a squad chasing a Premier League spot will be beneficial for Walker.
“That’s twice now he’s been out on loan and scored goals,” said the former Bournemouth man.
“Obviously our situation is a bit different at the moment, in terms of what we’re striving to do.
“It is difficult to get into the team.
“But that in itself is a learning curve and, I think, more valuable than him spending the second half of the season scoring goals - because we know he can score goals at that level.
“If he can be part of a promotion push, he will learn even more.”
Having been the only forward in Forest’s squad for a time, following the end of Rafa Mir’s loan spell from Wolves, Grabban welcomes the competition.
As well as Walker, the Reds added Nuno da Costa during the January transfer window - although the ex-Strasbourg man has been sidelined with injury.
Whether he has others breathing down his neck or not, though, Grabban says it does not affect his level of performance.
“I always feel I have to keep performing anyway, whether we had Tyler or another striker in the squad, or just myself,” he said.
“I always have to do that; with them or without them, I always have to keep performing.”
