The surprising choice emerging as Nottingham Forest player of the season contender

Djed Spence has been exceptional. Brennan Johnson, outstanding. Lewis Grabban - up until his injury - in vintage form.

Picking out player of the season for Nottingham Forest this year already looks like it will be a tough call.

It’s the same when trying to single out a man of the match most weeks. There’s usually no shortage of options.

That’s a sign of how well the Reds are doing, and how their progress has been very much about performing as a team. There is plenty of individual brilliance, but Forest also shine as a unit.

Johnson or Spence will probably get the accolades come May, however the campaign ends for Steve Cooper’s side. Attacking players, after all, are usually the ones who grab the limelight.

But there is one other, perhaps surprising, choice who deserves to be in contention.

Scott McKenna is without doubt one of the best signings the Reds have made in a long time.

He showed that last term, with a very solid start to life in the Championship. Injury hampered him a little then, but this year, he has just kicked on again.

The centre-back is one of the most reliable performers in the Garibaldi, playing at a top level week in, week out.

Cardiff away a couple of weeks ago stands out because it was a rare off-day for the Scot. In almost 60 appearances, it’s really the only bad game he’s had - which is some going.

In the air, he’s pretty much unbeatable. Headers not won could probably be counted on one hand. That quality proved effective in the opposition area on Saturday, too, as the 25-year-old towered above his marker to send the ball back across goal for Ryan Yates to equalise in the dying minutes against Stoke City.

On the deck, he’s pretty good, too. Cooper likes his defenders to be comfortable on the ball