Nottingham Forest have confirmed that six players from the reserve team have left the club this summer, with Michael Hefele’s brother Josef among those being released – Liam Bossin, Joe Coveney, Adam Crookes, Josef Hefele, Alex Iacovitti, Rudolfs Soloha.
Bossin joined the Reds from RSC Anderlecht in 2017 and failed to make a first-team appearance in his two years at the City Ground. The German-born Irish u21 international found himself behind Costel Pantilimon, Luke Steele, Stephen Henderson and Jordan Smith which resulted in his eventual departure.
Coveney joined Forest from Manchester City in 2017 and also failed to make an appearance in the first-team. The defender also had stiff competition for a starting place in the senior squad from Michael Dawson, Tobias Figueiredo, Michael Hefele, Yohan Benalouane and Alexander Milosevic.
Crookes rose through the youth ranks to the fringes of the first-team but never managed to feature in the senior squad. He’s spent the second-half of the season on loan at League Two side Port Vale which suggests he’s not at the level required to stay at the City Ground.
Josef Hefele initially joined Forest on loan in September 2018 and turned the move permanent in January, but he’s been released just months later without coming close to featuring in the first-team. Iacovitti progressed through the youth ranks to the first-team but made only two appearances.
The 21-year-old has been loaned out to Mansfield Town (August 31, 2016 – January 1, 2017), Forest Green Rovers (July 31, 2017 – January 2, 2018) and Oldham Athletic (January 28, 2019 – May 31, 2019) as a result of him falling down the pecking order which suggested he had no future at Forest.
According to Football Database, Soloha joined the Reds’ reserve side in 2016 and hasn’t progressed to the level required to be retained for another season.
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
Official: Goalkeeper and midfielder leave Nottingham Forest, out-of-favour duo released
