Steve Cooper was right, it looks like Nottingham Forest have found their next young star

When the team sheet was announced for Nottingham Forest ahead of the Carabao Cup game against Newcastle in August, a surprise name was among the starting eleven.

Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo took the opportunity to rest a number of top stars, with Morgan Gibbs-White, Ryan Yates and Murillo not included in the matchday squad.

The likes of Jota Silva, Carlos Miguel, Ramon Sosa and Andrew Omobamidele all got some rate minutes on the pitch – yet another name still stood out.

Elliot Anderson also started for Forest that night as he came up against Newcastle for the first time since his summer move from St James’ Park.

Zach Abbott can’t have been expecting to get a start so early into the season, even if he had been training with the first-team squad during the pre-season campaign.

The 18-year-old lined up in a back three alongside Omobamidele and Willy Boly, looking resolute against a very strong Newcastle outfit picked by Eddie Howe.

Now, Abbott is on the up and perhaps a former Forest employee was right all along.

Steve Cooper was right about Forest gem Zach Abbott

In September 2022, an article from The Guardian claimed that Cooper was a huge fan of Forest starlet Abbott.

It was only a few months after he’d starred in the FA Youth Cup Final defeat to Manchester United that the former boss decided to give him his debut against Grimsby in the Carabao Cup.

Now, he’s impressed Espirito Santo too and ultimately the player looks like he could make the grade in senior football.

Last night, Abbott made his first start for the England under-19 outfit as they romped to a 4-0 victory over the Netherlands.

He started once again as a central defender and it feels as though the Reds are going to see the true potential of Abbott as the years progress.