Arvin Appiah has played one minute of Championship football all season but shone as Forest’s U23s beat Leicester City on Thursday.
Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane will have been impressed with what they saw from Nottingham Forest’s reserves in Thursday’s 3-1 Premier League Cup win against Leicester City.
Forgotten man Jamie Ward found the net while out-of-favour enforcer Liam Bridcutt produced a typically tigerish and tireless performance in the centre of the park. Brennan Johnson scored twice, meanwhile, and could be Forest’s first natural goal-scoring midfielder since the days of Henri Lansbury.
But there was little doubt about the star of the show: Arvin Appiah.
The teenager was at his thrilling best on the wing, setting up Ward’s goal with a magical assist while giving the Leicester defenders a horrible bout of twisted blood. It was the sort of performance that explained why Forest were so keen to tie him down to a professional contract, the 18-year-old signing a deal until 2020 in January.
But, having played just one minute of Championship football all season, is it time for the England U18 international to make the step up?
A number of Forest fans think so. And the fact that he shone in front of O’Neill and Keane will not have done his chances any harm at all.
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