Brennan Johnson has claimed that manager Sabri Lamouchi trusts him to play a part for Forest in the final few games of the season, should he need to do so.
Having been handed his senior debut by Lamouchi back at the start of the season, Johnson has gone on to make eight appearances in all competitions for Forest across the course of the campaign, with the 19-year-old winning plenty of praise for his performances.
The midfielder has not featured for Forest in any of their last three games, but it seems he does not believe that his individual campaign is over just yet.
Could Brennan Johnson be a regular starter for Forest next season?YesNo |
Speaking about his discussion with Lamouchi about his own involvement in the matchday squad for Forest, Johnson was quoted by Nottinghamshire Live as saying: “He said that he trusts me to play and he has confidence in me.
“He knows the importance of this stage of the league, too, so I am really happy that he has given me the chance to play at this crucial period. I know that I am not going to play every game in the run-in, as we have a lot of good players and experienced players.
“But every opportunity that I get to go out there I will give it my best, and hopefully we can achieve it all together.”
Reflecting on the backing given to him by Lamouchi over the course of the season so far, Johnson continued: “Me and Alex in particular, the gaffer has really trusted us.
“He knows how we play and he hasn’t tried to change us, he just tells us to play our game – and him knowing that and utilising us is really good.”
Discussing his experience during the campaign, the teenager added: “It has been a good season.
“I didn’t expect to play in the first game of 2019-20 but it has been a term full of ups and downs. I have been playing some weeks and then I haven’t been involved.
“I have had to motivate myself a lot, going in between teams, but every time I have got out there has been really good. I have played against some really challenging teams, so it has been a superb season overall.”
Johnson’s performances this season do seem encouraging for Forest.
It is not going to be easy for any clubs to recruit in the current circumstances, meaning extra importance could be placed on coming through from the youth setup in the coming seasons.
The potential Johnson has could therefore be useful for Forest, and backing he feels he has from Lamouchi means he himself should be confident about stepping up when needed.
