Striker Tyler Walker says he never doubted he would get another chance at Nottingham Forest - and now he’s back in the fold, he’s determined to make the most of it.
The 23-year-old has had a number of different loan spells since coming up through the Nigel Doughty Academy.
Most recently, he spent last term at Mansfield Town and was due to spend this season at Lincoln City before that came to an early end last month.
Walker made his first Reds appearance since January 2018 when he came off the bench at Birmingham City. He had not scored for the club since that previous December, but found the back of the net this weekend to seal a crucial 2-0 win over Leeds United.
“I don’t think I never thought I’d get another chance,” Walker said.
“You have to be positive.
“I’ve always asked to go on loan if I didn’t feel like I was going to get the opportunity.
“I’ve gone out and worked as hard as possible to make sure I’m in the eye; make sure everyone still knows I’m here and ready for whenever they needed me.
“Forest have had a job to do, and when I was at Lincoln I had a job to do.
“I was just trying to win with Lincoln. And now I’m here, I’m trying to win with Forest and get promotion.”
Walker netted 16 goals in 34 appearances for the League One Imps, catching the eye of Reds head coach Sabri Lamouchi.
“We kept in touch,” the front man said. “He had a job to do for this season and I had a job to do at Lincoln.
“There wasn’t loads of communication, but I’m still a Nottingham Forest player at the end of the day, and they kept an eye on me.
“As a striker, it’s your job to score goals.
“I went to Lincoln to play games and score goals. Fortunately I did that and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“I’m thankful for that and hopefully I can continue to repay the faith.
“If you’re on the bench or you’re starting, you’ve got a job to do.
“If you’re coming off the bench you’ve got to make an impact - that’s what the manager asks of you.
“I’m working hard in training and making sure I’m ready for when they need me.”
Walker’s return, along with the arrival of January signing Nuno da Costa, provides Lamouchi with some much-needed options up front.
Lewis Grabban had been the sole forward in the squad, following Rafa Mir’s loan being ended early - and Walker says added competition can only help Forest’s promotion push.
“Lewis is a great player and has proved that this season and seasons gone by,” he said.
“He’s a really experienced player and is great to learn from.
“Competition is always healthy - you definitely need that when you’re going for promotion.
“You need that competition so that players don’t get complacent.
“Hopefully that competition drives us forward.
“Every game is a big game now, so we need to make sure everyone in the squad is ready.”
Three points amid an electric City Ground atmosphere at the weekend moved Lamouchi’s men to within one point of second-placed Leeds.
They now host Charlton Athletic tomorrow, followed by a trip to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
And after a moment to remember on the banks of the Trent, Walker is eager to back that up in the coming weeks.
“It was a great moment. It was fantastic. To score on my return back to the City Ground, I was buzzing,” he said.
“All the credit goes to Joe Lolley. He had a great game, and I thought all the lads did really well. He squared it to me, put it on a plate and I’m really thankful.
“I can tell just watching and then coming on, that the lads are really together. It’s great in the dressing room.
“We’re chasing promotion, so we need to keep looking forward. We’ve got a big game tomorrow to turn our attention to.
“Everyone is pushing in the right direction and we’ve got to take each game as it comes; try to get three points every week.
“It’s quite easy to stay grounded because the next game is on Tuesday, so you can’t get too ahead of yourself.
“As soon as the game finished we were on to Charlton.
“We’ve got to make sure we’re back here, recovered and ready to try to get three points tomorrow.”
