The number 11 is a fabled shirt among the Nottingham Forest faithful.
Nottingham Forest’s Ben Osborn scores their first goal from a free kick
Many clubs have one shirt number in particular which has significance – think the 25 shirt at Chelsea after Gianfranco Zola or the seven shirt at Manchester United after George Best, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.
At Nottingham Forest, that number is 11, mainly because the club won two European Cup trophies on the back of John Robertson’s actions. The current occupant, Ben Osborn, has been excellent for Forest this season, and has seven assists to his name – as well as creating the second highest amount of chances in the entire division.
In light of this, here are the five best players to wear that number since 2000.
Chris Bart-Williams
We go right back to the start of the millennium for this player, who was actually with Forest since 1995. Bart-Williams, who made 207 league appearances and scored 30 goals for the Reds, could operate in either defence or midfield and was well received by fans for his efforts on the pitch. A touch of class with the ball, Bart-Williams was part of the Forest side that won the First Division in 1998, but had to be sold due to financial difficulties at the club. The one time England B international left The City Ground for Charlton Athletic in 2002.
Marlon Harewood of Nottingham Forest in action with Millwall’s Kevin Muscat
Marlon Harewood
Arguably the finest striker to emerge from Forest’s enviable youth academy, Harewood wore the number 11 shirt when he forged an immensely successful partnership with David Johnson in the 2002/03 season, with the two scoring 45 goals in 88 games combined – with Harewood scoring 20 in 46. In total, Harewood hit 56 goals in 204 games for Forest before moving on to West Ham United in 2003, but returned for a very brief second spell in 2012.
Nathan Tyson
Initially starting out as a striker when he joined in 2005, Tyson was given the number 11 shirt in the 2009/10 season when then manager Billy Davies decided that Tyson would be better suited out wide given his outrageous speed. It was a decision that paid dividends as Tyson’s electrifying pace was a valuable outlet in Davies’ teams that finished third and sixth respectively, and the forward departed The City Ground in 2011 having scored 42 goals in 211 games for the Reds.
Nottingham Forest’s Andy Reid celebrates at the end of the match
Andy Reid
Quite possibly the most talented individual to ever emerge from the Forest academy, Reid didn’t initially wear the number 11 shirt in his first spell with the club – going from 14 to 20 to seven – but in his second, he wore it with pride. A midfield maestro as opposed to a flying winger in his second spell, Reid was an instrumental part of Nottingham Forest just as he was in his first spell, even if it was in a different position. The former Republic of Ireland international clocked up 290 appearances in all competitions for Forest, scoring 42 goals.
Ben Osborn
The latest holder of the fabled shirt is yet another academy graduate in Ben Osborn. The 22-year-old was given the shirt number at the start of the season following Reid’s retirement, and has provided the creativity required to do the number justice. Osborn – at time of writing – has seven assists for Forest this season, and has carved out the second most amount of chances in the entire division, with only Fulham’s Tom Cairney making more. Forever immortalised for his winning goal against Derby County in a 2-1 win at Pride Park, Osborn has 10 goals in 130 appearances in all competitions for the Reds.
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