Boss Steve Cooper hopes Ryan Yates penning a new deal can help Nottingham Forest when it comes to their transfer plans.
The midfielder has signed fresh terms which will keep him at the City Ground until 2025, on the back of some sparkling performances this season.
The Reds have a number of other players who are tied down for the medium to long-term, while talks have taken place over a new contract for Brennan Johnson.
And as he looks to put together a group capable of achieving success - ahead of what will be a big summer transfer window, whichever division Forest find themselves in - Cooper says sorting out Yates’ future sets a good example.
“I think it can help,” he said. “In the end, we want to try to build a team of permanent players who you help grow.
“Of course you always need to try to freshen things up and you need to try to strengthen; sometimes you might have a certain position that you need to fill, and things like that.
“But on the whole, you want to try to build a consistency and a togetherness within the group. To do that, you need a group of players to be together over a length of time.
“Yatesy is a good example for that.
“There are other boys on longer-term contracts as well, who are not up for discussion at the moment because they are only a year or so into them - Joe Worrall and Scott McKenna etc.
“But Yatesy is just a good example of good commitment from the club, thinking both short and long-term.
“Short-term, okay, we want to be as competitive as we can and win as many games as possible. But longer-term, we’ve got to think about succession planning and things like that. Yatesy and the other boys on longer-term contracts are going to be a part of that, which is good.”
Yates has been on a fine run of form which has seen him find the net in each of the last three games, taking his tally to seven for the season.
He has been on the receiving end of criticism from some supporters in the past, but has had the crowd singing his name in recent weeks.
“I hope he is getting that appreciation,” said Cooper. “You just wish him well, Yatesy, because it is hard to dislike anything about him.
“What you see in terms of his attitude and commitment is what I see, and the staff and his teammates see, every single day.
“He’s very well respected here by his teammates, because they see he will do anything - and that he’s a good player as well.
“It’s good that he’s being recognised. Hopefully that can grow.
“He has been integral. And he will be integral, going forward.”
