After making his senior Nottingham Forest debut, Zach Abbott was advised to hang onto his match shirt right away.
At the time, he was only sixteen. Like any player’s first time donning the Garibaldi, it was a historic occasion, particularly for those who had gone through the Nigel Doughty Academy. After two years, there is an increasing perception that Abbott may soon be back in the first team uniform. If the 18-year-old did begin collecting shirts back in 2022, he might be adding to it shortly.
During the preseason, the defender has seen action for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team. He has embraced it to the fullest.
When standing up with players like summer addition Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Willy Boly, Andrew Omobamidele, and fellow Reds academy alum Joe Worrall this summer, Abbott hasn’t seemed at all out of place. When called upon, he has stood his ground and performed admirably.
After receiving a reassuring pat from Worrall, he quickly forgot about his brief nervous moment against Chesterfield on his debut, and he continued to impress with his composed displays. The teenager has definitely made the most of his opportunity to shine, being composed and at ease while playing the ball. It will have been a valuable experience for him.
Abbott has always been seen as a promising young man. That senior bow was returned during Steve Cooper’s tenure. After incorporating the center-back during the preseason, the Welshman had been keen to give him some playing time. And he succeeded in doing so in August 2022 when he substituted Abbott in for Grimsby Town during the team’s 3-0 League Cup victory.
Abbott was named one to watch in The Guardian’s annual assessment of Premier League clubs’ talent shortly after that performance. He was noticed because he was performing above his age group and because at the end of the previous season, he played the whole ninety minutes in Forest’s inaugural FA Youth Cup final.
Manager Warren Joyce instructed his men to exploit their hurt after Abbott and his colleagues were defeated 3-1 by Manchester United at Old Trafford in that pivotal match. His post-match instructions to the locker room focused on how important it was for them to handle themselves appropriately following a loss.
The fact that they have played the game for 15 years is more significant. Joyce stated, “They must keep this in mind, push themselves forward, and make sure they feel better than they did this time.”
Abbott has undoubtedly experienced many “better feelings” since then. After a fantastic 2023–24 season that saw Joyce’s B team go to the Premier League 2 play-offs, the Premier League Cup semi-finals, and the Nottinghamshire FA Senior Cup final, they were excited to be part under Nuno this summer.
For some, like Esapa Osong, this season will be their first chance to play men’s football seriously. The youthful attacker will play for Rotherham United on loan for the campaign.
The 19-year-old is a “highly thought of player,” according to Millers manager Steve Evans, who has been after his signing for some time. After the agreement was finalized, Evans remarked, “This has been a three-month process and we have had to show great patience but it will be worth the hard work put in.” “We have Esapa, a striker who works so hard for the team; it’s uncommon to find a striker that scores goals at any time.”
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