Steve Cooper gives his insight on Man Utd loanee James Garner’s development at Nottingham Forest

It is hard to think of a team who have stepped up individually more mid season than Nottingham Forest have under Steve Cooper this term.

So many players have gone to new levels under the Welshman and Manchester United loanee James Garner is certainly one of them.

The 21-year-old showed positive signs in a loan spell at the City Ground in the second half of last season and has began to look the part the longer his spell at Forest has gone on.

Cooper had his say on Garner’s upward trajectory when he spoke to The Athletic.

He said: “I knew him from his England Under-17 days, where he was captain, so we had a relationship before here.

“He has been excellent.

“Over recent months he has been a high-performing player in the team.

“He has been a constant selection for us.

“The loan is proving to be a really beneficial one.

“It is important now that he stays at the same level for the run-in.

“He needs to get to the end of the season and be able to say that he is a better player than he was before he came here.

“That is always the objective of a loan.

“We are very happy with him.

“We work very hard with him and he works very hard himself.”

Garner has been instrumental in Forest’s meteoric rise up the table and could have a large part to play in ensuring they break into the play-offs before the fixtures run out.

The Verdict

Garner will most likely go on loan in the Premier League next season, with or without Forest and he has Steve Cooper to thank for accelerating his development at Forest.

The 21-year-old is capable operating as an eight, a ten or even in a double pivot and in that provides bags of tactical flexibility for a manager.

The consistent performances of Ryan Yates and Jack Colback have directly contributed to Garner’s