The Sheffield United defender could face former club Nottingham Forest on Saturday, five years after leaving the Reds for rivals Derby County.
Sheffield United’s Kieron Freeman has revealed that leaving Nottingham Forest for Derby County did not go down well with his family.
The Forest-supporting academy product, who returns to his old side with United on Saturday, made the controversial move in 2012.
But despite receiving a lukewarm reaction back at home, Freeman is adamant it was a good decision.
“My old man is a massive Forest fan so I knew it was going to be a difficult conversation right from the start,” the 25-year-old told the Sheffield Star. “He was buzzing, absolutely buzzing, when I first joined the club. When I explained I was going to Derby County, well, that made it even worse. It was a football decision but he certainly didn’t take it like that.”
He added: “I left Forest and that was a big decision for me, especially because I’d been there since I was eight. I was 19, I think, at the time. But I took the decision to go and play football and get games in the Championship. Looking back, it was a good decision for me. But it probably wasn’t for my family because they are all big Forest fans.
“I made the decision on my own. At the time, at Forest, I wasn’t getting the chance to play. I spoke to other managers but Derby were the Championship club and it’s only 30 minutes from Nottingham. I’d only played two games for Forest but it didn’t go down well with the fans. It didn’t go down well with my family either but they’re over it now.”
Freeman’s old Derby boss Nigel Clough – a former Forest player, of course – took him to Sheffield United on loan initially in March 2014.
But six months after his permanent move to Bramall Lane the following January, Freeman was parted with Clough and soon found his Blades career in doubt.
Yet despite being loaned to Portsmouth and transfer listed upon his return, the defender fought his way back into Chris Wilder’s plans and scored or assisted an impressive 16 goals en route to last season’s League One title.
If fit, should Freeman come back in for Sheffield United at Nottingham Forest?
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