Derby County legend makes confident Nottingham Forest claim ahead of Huddersfield Town crunch tie

Former Derby County winger Alan Hinton believes Nottingham Forest will win Sunday’s play-off final against Huddersfield Town if their star man Brennan Johnson plays well at Wembley, taking to Twitter to issue his thoughts.

The 21-year-old has been instrumental in the Reds’ rapid rise up the Championship table, taking them from the bottom to fourth with his 16 goals and nine assists in the second tier.

Making the step up from League One side Lincoln City, where he also impressed before his return to the City Ground, he has been linked with several top-flight teams with Brentford even launching a sizeable bid for his services in January.

However, officials in the East Midlands have been unwilling to part with the Welshman who has stepped up to the plate well in the absence of Lewis Grabban and Keinan Davis, both of whom have spent part of the second half of the season on the sidelines.

With his contract expiring in 2023, promotion this weekend could be crucial for the Reds in retaining his services for the long term with the 21-year-old yet to put pen to paper on fresh terms.

And former Derby man Hinton, who also plied his trade at Forest, believes he will be the key man in guiding Steve Cooper’s side to the Premier League if he performs well.

He posted: “If Forest’s wide right star Johnson plays well at Wembley, Forest will get promoted to PL (the Premier League).

“He is one of the best young players I have seen amongst many.”

The Verdict:

Johnson can be a real game-changer against any second-tier side and this is why Hinton is spot on with his assessment, even with Huddersfield having Levi Colwill who could potentially limit the Welshman’s effectiveness.

The big Wembley pitch could give the 21-year-old plenty of space to