Ryan Yates delivers honest verdict on Nottingham Forest teammate Brice Samba

Ryan Yates has heaped his praise on goalkeeper Brice Samba, following the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper’s red card against Stoke City on Saturday, in a conversation with The Athletic.

Samba, who had been barged by Phil Jagielka after the Reds shot-stopper fumbled a corner, retaliated by throwing an arm at the experienced defender. 

Not only did Samba see red for his moment of madness, but he also gave away a penalty in the process, and with Forest making all their substitutes, Joe Worrall was tasked with playing the remaining minutes in-between the sticks.

Addressing Samba in the context of the season thus far, teammate Ryan Yates only had positives to say about the 27-year-old when speaking to The Athletic: “Brice has been unbelievable all season. He has been one of our standout players. He has made mistakes and I have made mistakes before. We all have.

“The lads have never got on my back when it has happened, and the lads will not hold it against him. It is just one of those things.

“He plays on the edge, a little bit like me but in a different way. I like to get into people and tackle. Sometimes you do overstep the mark. You wouldn’t take that out of his game, but he does need to learn from this. We’ll be supportive of him in the dressing room.”

The verdict 

Samba has once again emerged as one of the top goalkeepers in the division this season, with his shot-stopping ability ranking very highly in the context of the Championship. 

He is also a more than competent goalkeeper with his feet and he has the passing range to start attacks whilst the opposition are pressing. 

As Yates rightly says, he is someone who plays on the edge and thrives off the adrenaline that comes with playing football matches. 

The 27-year-old