Joe Worrall has hailed one of Nottingham Forest’s “unsung heroes”, as Sabri Lamouchi’s side look to mount a final push for promotion.
Plenty of Reds players have caught the eye this season, with the likes of Matty Cash, Brice Samba and Samba Sow all earning plaudits - to name a few.
There is one member of the squad who goes under the radar more than most, however, despite becoming a mainstay of the team.
Tobias Figueiredo had to bide his time early on in the campaign, as Michael Dawson formed a solid centre-back partnership with Worrall.
But an injury to Dawson opened the door for his Portuguese teammate, and Figueiredo snapped up his chance.
Worrall joked: “He’s just a very quiet, reserved, cool, very angry man!
“He’s a good friend, a good teammate and a really nice guy.
“He’s always on time, he keeps himself trim and he’s a good player. This season, he’s been fantastic.
“At the start of the season, he didn’t feature because Daws was playing alongside me.
“But as soon as he came in, he was at it and was fantastic.
“He’s been very reliable at the back.”
Figueiredo has been at the City Ground since 2018, making the move permanently that summer after a successful loan spell.
He has now racked up more than 50 appearances in the Garibaldi, and this term opened his goalscoring account by finding the net against QPR and Wigan Athletic.
Worrall says the centre-back can play a crucial role as the fifth-placed Reds target a top six finish - playing their first home game since the Championship’s restart when Huddersfield Town are the visitors on Sunday.
“He’s a bit of an unsung hero, despite the games he’s played for us. And he’s scored a couple of big goals for us as well this season,” he said of Figueiredo.
“He’s someone who goes about his work quietly.
“Even though you might not see him as a leader, he leads by example.
“He’s very much a key part of the team.”
