Nottingham Forest confirmed on Monday that Adam Crookes was one of six u23 players to be released this summer, meaning he’ll officially depart the club at the end of his contract in July. The 21-year-old may have already found himself a new club too, with Port Vale interested in turning Crookes’ loan deal permanent.
Manager John Askey has revealed that he’s keen to sign the fullback, telling the Stoke Sentinel: “(Crookes) is the right age. I think also from the football club’s point of view you are looking at players who can move on and perhaps make the club money if they progress. The main thing is that he does well for us… He has got a lot of attributes.”
The fullback made 19 appearances for the League Two outfit, helping them keep six clean sheets. The fact he’s playing two divisions below Nottingham Forest suggests he’s not at the required level to stay at the City Ground, hence the Reds releasing him this summer. Crookes was behind Sam Byram, Tendayi Darikwa and Saidy Janko at Forest, so a move was inevitable this summer.
Vale finished 20th in League Two with 49 points from 46 games, having conceded 55 goals. They suffered 21 defeats over the course of the season, so Crookes may want to weigh up all offers before committing to the Valiants. He made a positive impact at Vale Park but may not be keen on joining a club who finished just three places from the drop zone.
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