Brandon Aguilera, a rising star for Nottingham Forest, has been praising Keylor Navas during his loan stint at the City Ground. The goalie appears to have had a significant influence on the midfielder, and the two are international teammates.
Aguilera was sent out on loan last season with very limited success. First, he went to Guanacasteca before securing a move to Estoril to end the season, although he didn’t play a senior game in Portugal.
Forest chose not to loan out the 20-year-old this summer. Instead, he’s been working hard with the B-Team and has been an integral part of the Premier League 2 campaign under Warren Joyce.
Navas was on loan for the second half of 2022/23 at Forest. After his debut against Leeds, Neco Williams called him ‘massive’ after a string of fine saves to stop the Whites taking the lead.
Aguilera speaks highly of Navas
Aguilera is currently with the under-23 ranks and last night they defeated Colombia 3-2. ESPN claimed on Instagram that the Forest man was one of the stars of the show during the victory.
Afterwards, he was quizzed on his current form and his time at Forest. He gave a nod towards his compatriot Navas and suggested that he’s been a big help to him.
Aguilera told ESPN: “I was able to talk a lot with Keylor Navas, giving me advice that could help me to be well, to meet the expectations we have. He has left a great legacy where he has played and at Nottingham Forest, he is no exception.”
Aguilera can start at Forest
It’s perhaps quite telling that Aguilera has been kept at Forest. Given that he’s only 20-years-old, he wouldn’t have to be registered for the 25-man squad an injury crisis could see him called upon.
The player’s time will come, however. He’s rated very highly by Steve Cooper and he went away with the Forest first-team during pre-season for their training camp to Spain.
Aguilera is adjusting to England while playing frequently for the B-Team. Additionally, he is now the captain of Costa Rica’s under-23 team, and every game he plays will teach him something new.
Last season, Navas stole the show as Forest remained in the division. Even if he did make several errors between the posts, he deserves praise for the impact he had on the young players who made up the Reds’ roster.
