The Nottingham Forest wonderkid who could save Reds millions in transfer fees after sparkling summer

One of the first pieces of advice Zach Abbott received after making his senior Nottingham Forest debut was to keep hold of his match shirt.

He was just 16 at the time. It was a landmark moment, as it is for any player when they first pull on the Garibaldi – especially for those to have come up through the Nigel Doughty Academy.

Two years down the line, there is a growing sense it might not be too long before Abbott gets to wear the first-team kit again. If he did start a shirt collection back in 2022, the 18-year-old could soon be adding to it.

The defender has had an opportunity for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in pre-season. And he has more than taken it.

Abbott has not looked at all out of place lining up alongside the likes of summer signing Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Willy Boly, Andrew Omobamidele and fellow Reds academy graduate Joe Worrall this summer. He has held his own and given a very good account of himself when called upon.

A slight nervy moment against Chesterfield in his first outing was soon forgotten about after an encouraging pat from Worrall, and he went on to catch the eye with some assured performances. Composed and comfortable on the ball, the teenager has certainly made the most of his chance to shine. The experience will have served him well.

Abbott has been viewed as a bright prospect for some time. That senior bow came back when Steve Cooper was still in charge.

The Welshman had been eager to give the centre-back some minutes after involving him in pre-season. And he managed to do so when he brought Abbott on as a substitute in the 3-0 League Cup victory over Grimsby Town in August 2022.

“It is a special moment for him,” Cooper said at the time. “He’ll never forget it. I just said to him, look after that shirt, keep it, give it to somebody important, because in some ways it will be the most important one he’ll ever have. It’s great.

“Zach’s only 16. We’ve been keen to get him involved, but we will not give opportunities unless they are deserved.”

Shortly after that appearance Abbott was singled out by The Guardian as one to watch in their annual audit of talent at Premier League clubs. The fact he had been playing above his age group and had played the full 90 minutes of Forest’s first ever FA Youth Cup final towards the end of the previous season had brought him to attention.

“He showed a spirit, a character and an energy,” the Reds head coach said. “I’m very happy for him. I hope he has a fantastic career. I will try to help him as much as I can.”

For others, such as Esapa Osong, this season will provide a first real opportunity in men’s football. The young forward is to spend the campaign on loan at Rotherham United.

Millers boss Steve Evans has described the 19-year-old as a “highly thought of player” having chased his signature for some time. “This has been a three-month process and we have had to show great patience but it will be worth the hard work put in,” Evans said after the deal was completed. “A striker who scores a goal is hard to get at any time and one who works so hard for the team is very rare, we have that with Esapa.”