Nottingham Forest have a fantastic junior system, and there will be plenty more young players coming through the ranks in the future. The club now has Category One academy accreditation, and the future looks promising.
After a pretty solid start to the Premier League 2 this season, people are starting to notice some Forest youngster. Furthermore, the club also have an under-18 setup to be very proud of.
With the season now in full flow for the under-21s and under-18s, we’ve looked at three Forest youngsters that it’d be worth keeping an eye on this season.
3 Nottingham Forest youngsters to keep an eye on during 2023/24
Ateef Konate
Dave Rogers used to coach at Forest, and following a win over Derby during his tenure, he referred to him as ‘calmness personified’ after a mature performance.
Konate is now 22-years-old and this season will be a big one for the youngster. He wasn’t loaned out and now he will likely be a main focal point in the under-21s this season.
The versatile forward has a lot to offer the Reds. The fact he’s now 22 could make life a bit difficult for him at Forest but it will certainly be intriguing to see how he goes this season.
Josh Powell
The kid joined the team’s pre-season tour to Spain, where he was obliged to play in several friendlies while the club looked for a left-back.
Powell is an all-action player whose intensity drew attention throughout the close season games.
This season, he will be working with the under-21s. He scored against Carlisle in the EFL Trophy last week, and his future appears to be quite bright.
Joe Gardner
The talented player was brilliant in the EFL Trophy win over Carlisle and he also looks set for a bright future. He won 10 duels during that contest and his performance didn’t go unnoticed.
Gardner is another dynamic performer who is still looking for his greatest role. This season, the 18-year-old has only recently been promoted to the under-21s.
He already appears to be a very good player, and the adolescent will improve as the season develops.
