The Aitor Karanka signing has barely featured for the Reds but contributed to Team Melli’s progress to the semi-finals of the competition.
Nottingham Forest striker Karim Ansarifard got on the scoresheet as Iran beat China 3-0 in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup on Friday.
The 28-year-old came on as a substitute against Marcelo Lippi’s side and grabbed the third goal for his nation in stoppage time after having been put through by Mehdi Taremi.
Taremi opened the scoring for Iran in the 18th minute and Sardar Azmoun’s goal just after the half-hour mark put them virtually out of reach of their opponents.
Ansarifard will no doubt be hoping that his goalscoring display at international level will be the catalyst not only for Asian Cup glory but for better luck at club level too.
The forward joined Forest in November after having been released by Olimpiacos in the summer but has not made a single start for the Reds.
So far, all his five appearances for the East Midlands side have been as a substitute for a total of just 43 minutes of action, according to Transfermarkt.
Forest praised their player for his international exploits on the club Twitter page and some fans responded – but there didn’t seem to be too much enthusiasm:
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
