Brice Samba, a Nottingham Forest promotion hero, led his Lens team to victory yesterday night against Arsenal in the Champions League.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper kept the French team in the game and secured a 2-1 victory—their first triumph in the championship in more than 20 years.
Former Reds ‘keeper Samba left the City Ground last summer, with the progression he and his Lens side have made being nothing short of remarkable.
He helped the club achieve second place in Ligue 1, whilst receiving a Ballon d’Or nomination – he’s now performing at the highest level of club football in a European competition.
The rapid rise of Brice Samba
All Nottingham Forest fans will have fond memories of the Frenchman, especially for his heroics in the play-off semi-final against Sheffield United, where he saved three penalties in the shootout.
The goalkeeper had a desire to move back to France and subsequently signed for Lens. Now, the Ligue 1 outfit have defied all expectations with Samba carrying on his heroics into the Champions League.
Since leaving the City Ground, the Frenchman has taken his game to the next level.
He won the Ligue 1 goalie of the year award and afterwards earned a berth on France’s national team.
It is wonderful to watch the goalkeeper performing at the heights we all know he is capable of on his best days, despite the fact that many Reds supporters were disappointed to see him leave City Ground.
