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da pinup bet： Nottingham Forest legend Kenny Burns has written in his column in The Nottingham Post that Ryan Yates – who has made seven league appearances for the club this season – is his Reds’ Player of the Year as things stand, and it is a ridiculous claim.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the youngster signed a new three-year deal at The City Ground last summer following successful loan spells in the lower leagues with Notts County and Scunthorpe United, but he found first-team opportunities hard to come by under Aitor Karanka.
The 21-year-old only made the 18-man squad in the Championship on one occasion under the Spaniard – in his final match in charge against Leeds United on New Year’s Day – but was an unused substitute on that day.
His fortunes have changed under Martin O’Neill however, and his start against Hull City on Saturday was his sixth consecutive one in the Championship as he begins to establish himself as one of the first names on the team-sheet.
In his column in The Nottingham Post, Burns wrote: “The emergence of Ryan Yates has been one of the highlights of the season, for me.
“He’s only played a handful of games for Nottingham Forest but I would go so far as to say, at the moment, he would still be my player of the season.
“Joe Lolley is a close second because he’s a class act.”
Player of the year contender?
He will probably be up there come what May, but given the number of appearances he has made and the fact that Forest have been in and around the play-off positions throughout the campaign, it is ludicrous to suggest in March that he is the leading contender.
Individuals like Joe Lolley, Lewis Grabban, Jack Robinson, Jack Colback and Matty Cash have offered more as first-team regulars, and should all be ahead of the Nottingham-born player in the pecking order.