Nottingham Forest endured a bigger blunder than Bamford on PL winner
In recent decades, Nottingham Forest have gained a reputation for developing talented youngsters, making an impact at the club before going on to achieve great things in professional football.
Ryan Yates, the Reds’ current vice-captain, came through the Nigel Doughty Academy before forcing his way into the first team after multiple successful loan spells in the Football League.
Matty Cash and Michael Dawson are just two examples of players who have come through the club’s academy before leaving the club for a decent fee – with Cash notably joining Aston Villa on a £16m deal.
The club also sold Patrick Bamford to Chelsea for £1.5m back in 2012 – a nice figure for a youngster who had only featured once for the Reds’ senior team. However, 12 years on from the deal, the club may regret selling him with the striker going on to be successful in the Championship and Premier League – the 31-year-old scoring 57 goals in 177 games for Leeds United.
However, despite Bamford’s departure to Chelsea, the club made a bigger mistake by letting another youngster leave the club on a free over 20 years ago.
Shaun Wright-Phillips’ time at Nottingham Forest
Shaun Wright-Phillips was on the books of Forest as a youngster, however, the club released him before he joined Manchester City at the age of 18.
When speaking at the premiere for Barclays Football’s Black History Month, the winger spoke about his time in Nottingham, saying: They said they were happy and on the way back, they just turned around after saying they were going to give me the contract, on the train down, they turned around and said, ‘sorry we have kind of changed our mind, you’re basically too small and not good enough’.”
The club were never to know how the career of Wright-Phillips would pan out, but if the career of his dad, Ian Wright, was anything to go by, he would’ve been a brilliant signing for the club and a huge asset for years to come.
Wright-Phillips’ career after leaving Nottingham Forest
His move to Manchester City turned out to be a very successful one, with the winger going on to make 274 appearances for the club, scoring 48 times and assisting 23 times for his teammates.
Wright-Phillips’ form in the North West saw him win the club’s Young Player of the Season award four seasons in a row – earning him a call-up to the England national side at the age of 23.
The stint in Manchester caught the attention of fellow Premier League side Chelsea, with the London club forking out £21m for Wright-Phillips during the summer of 2005.
The former Forest youngster made 125 appearances for the Blues over a three period, with the winger only managing to score ten goals before returning to the City of Manchester Stadium for £10m after the club’s financial backing – albeit with a league title in tow.
Related
Nottingham Forest spurned the chance to sign an 85m player in the making
He went on to become a world-class talent.
Wright-Phillips only lasted another three years in Manchester, before a spell at fellow Premier League side Queens Park Rangers at the age of 29. His move allowed him to play another 50+ times in the top flight before moving to the MLS, bringing his career in England to an end.
Overall, Wright-Phillips enjoyed a brilliant career in England’s top flight, with Forest letting go of a superb talent for nothing that would’ve seen the club secure a huge payday.
News Related
-
Asylum seekers travel in an inflatable boat across the English Channel, bound for Dover on the south coast of England (Photo: Ben Stansall/AFP) Up to 40 Conservative MPs are poised to rebel over Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation policy as they question ministers’ commitment to the scheme. A major row is ...
See Details:
Up to 40 Tory MPs ‘set to rebel’ if Sunak’s Rwanda plan doesn’t override ECHR
-
In the saltmarsh fringing where the Ballyboe River dissolves into Trawbreaga Bay, a little egret wears its plumage like a windblown stole. Our car swoops across the 10 arches of Malin bridge and we park along the village green. Malin is almost as far north as you can get on ...
See Details:
Country diary: A tale of three churches
-
Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/EPA Hampton Court is an enduring monument to the power of Henry VIII, a pleasure palace down the Thames from Westminster and the City of London. On Monday it was the scene of power projection of a different kind, as Rishi Sunak pitched for investment from some of ...
See Details:
Sunak woos business elite with royal welcome – but they seek certainty
-
-
Tottenham interested in move to sign “fearless” £20m defender in January Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to bring an overseas defender to the Premier League in January, according to a fresh report. Postecoglou’s centre-back options The Lilywhites currently have Micky Van De Ven, Ashley Phillips, Cristian Romero and Eric ...
See Details:
Tottenham interested in move to sign “fearless” £20m defender in January
-
A £100m campaign urging households and businesses to use less water will be funded from customers’ bills, Ofwat has said. Bill payers to stump up cost of £100m water usage campaign The regulator’s chief executive David Black told MPs that if the measures worked it would be cheaper than building ...
See Details:
Bill payers to stump up cost of £100m water usage campaign
-
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 – Group B – Canada Training – Olympic Park, Melbourne, Australia – July 24, 2023 Canada’s Christine Sinclair during training REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo (Reuters) – BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, will be renamed “Christine Sinclair ...
See Details:
Soccer-Venue renamed 'Christine Sinclair Place' for Canada soccer great's final game
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Phil Taylor makes his pick for 2024 World Darts Championship winner
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Soccer-Howe aims to boost Newcastle's momentum in PSG clash
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Hamilton heads for hibernation with a word of warning
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Carolina Panthers fire head coach Frank Reich after 1-10 start to the season
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
This exercise is critical for golfers. 4 tips to doing it right
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
One in three households with children 'will struggle to afford Christmas'
-
OTHER NEWS
Kobbie Mainoo made his first start for Man Utd at Everton (Photo: Getty) The Football Association are reportedly confident that Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo will choose to represent England ...
Read more »
Michael Smith will begin the defence of his world title on the opening night (Picture: Getty Images) The 2024 World Darts Championship is less than three weeks away and the ...
Read more »
For the first time a long haul commercial aircraft is flying across the Atlantic using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). A long haul commercial flight is flying to the US ...
Read more »
The King has met business and finance leaders from across the world at a Buckingham Palace reception to mark the conclusion of the UK’s Global Investment Summit. Charles was introduced ...
Read more »
After Ohio State’s 30-24 loss to Michigan Saturday, many college football fans were wondering where Lou Holtz was. In his postgame interview after the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame 17-14 in ...
Read more »
Darius Slay wouldn’t have minded being penalized on controversial no-call No matter which team you were rooting for on Sunday, we can all agree that the officiating job performed by ...
Read more »
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) Quarterback Mac Jones remains committed to finding success with the New England Patriots even though his future is up in the air following ...
Read more »