Nottingham Forest captain Joe Worrall is ‘absolutely buzzing’ to see the Premier League newcomers snatch Jesse Lingard from under the noses of West Ham United, speaking to talkSPORT (26 July, 11am).
Of the 11 signings Forest have made since beating Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-off final – 12 if you include the incoming Orel Mangala – one name simply leaps off the page.
Taiwo Awoniyi, Guilian Biancone and Omar Richards arrive as exciting if unproven youngsters. Lewis O’Brien and Harry Toffolo will be playing top-flight football for the very first time.
But in Lingard, Nottingham Forest have signed an established top-level footballer. One who’s represented England at a Word Cup, and Manchester United in the Champions League.
Forest snatched the 29-year-old from West Ham’s grasp, making him the best-paid player in their entire history (Sky).
Can Jesse Lingard make the difference at Nottingham Forest?
“Listen, Forest are a club that, back in the day, are used to having international players,” says boyhood-fan-turned-club-captain Worrall. “Especially the European Cup winning teams.
“Jesse is one of those players who’s very highly talented. He comes with a lot of experience, proven at international and Premier League level. He can score goals.
“He’s spent a couple of seasons out of the picture at United. (But he) went to West Ham and bang, showed his quality straight away.
“Everybody knows how good a footballer Jesse is. So we are absolutely buzzing to have him.”
Some have suggested that Lingard will earn around £200,000-a-week at the City Ground. The Athletic believe the actual fee is much lower, even if 32-cap forward will still earn a head-spinning wage. The sort of which would have been well beyond Forest’s means if they were still a Championship team.
And if Lingard can replicate the dazzling form he showed on loan at West Ham last year – 13 goals and assists in 16 starts – then perhaps he could be the difference between success and failure for Nottingham Forest in 2022/23.
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