Nottingham Forest struck gold selling ace who’s now worth £21m less
Steve Cooper will forever be an icon at Nottingham Forest, ending the club’s two-decade exile from the Premier League during the 2021/22 season.
The Welshman took over the club whilst they were bottom of the Championship, with just one point from the first eight games of the season, before somehow transforming the team after his appointment.
He led the Reds to the new Wembley for the first time, beating Huddersfield Town 1-0 in the play-off final at Wembley – securing promotion to England’s top-flight.
After huge investment from owner Evangelos Marinakis, he kept the club up during their first term in the Premier League – beating Arsenal 1-0 in the penultimate game of the season, subsequently ending the Gunners’ title ambitions.
However, Cooper would lose his job halfway through the 2023/24 campaign, with the club lingering dangerously close to the relegation zone in December after a run of six games without a win.
It was an emotional departure, especially after everything he had achieved at the City Ground, leaving the next manager with a huge void to fill whilst also handing them the task of keeping the Reds in the Premier League.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s stats at Forest
Former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espírito Santo was the man chosen to replace Cooper, with his appointment unconvincing to many of the supporters.
