Jayden Richardson confirmed on Twitter that he had signed a professional contract at Nottingham Forest, saying: “Happy to have signed my first professional deal with @NFFC ✍????❤️.” Nottinghamshire Live have revealed that the defender, who signed a youth contract in 2017, is a regular in the u23 and has been watched by Martin O’Neill and his coaching staff in some games.
O’Neill has shown a willingness to play some of Forest’s younger first-team players such as Ryan Yates (21), Diogo Goncalves (22), Joao Carvalho (22), Saidy Janko (23) and Matty Cash (21) – the quintet have racked up 6127 minutes of Championship football this season. Richardson may stand a chance of being promoted to the first-team in the future if he works hard at reserve level.
Forest u23s are currently seventh in the Professional Development League North with 34 points from 25 games this season. The Reds have picked up two wins and a draw from their last four outings and next face Burnley on Friday, April 5. They recently beat Sheffield Wednesday with Richardson playing a full 90 minutes as Forest kept a clean sheet at Middlewood Road.
The teenager has been rewarded for his form with a professional contract, so the hard work starts now to break into the first-team in the future.
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