Matty Cash is preparing for an “emotional” first game back at the City Ground on Monday after making his name with Nottingham Forest.
Cash remains close pals with several fellow Forest academy graduates after progressing up the ranks together. The star later switched to Premier League Aston Villa in September 2020 for £16million and will head to the World Cup next month with Poland.
He insists he will never forget what the Reds and academy manager Gary Brazil did for his career when he was on the scrapheap. And Cash admits he will have a lump in his throat when he steps out against Steve Cooper’s promoted side with Villa.
“It will be emotional going back but I will be more excited than ever to play there,” said the ace, who is back fit after a hamstring injury. "I had a really good time at Forest and came through the academy.
“It played a massive part in my career. We had a decent academy team with Ryan Yates , Joe Worrall, Oliver Burke , Tyler Walker and a close group.
“We all played in the FA Youth Cup and did well and then broke into the first team together. When I left it was an agreement all parties came to. Taking the opportunity to come to the Premier League wasn’t something I could turn down and for Forest, they needed money at the time.
“I am thankful for my time there and especially Gary who brought me through. I loved it there and since I have left I’ve always wanted to go back. I said thanks to everyone when I left but I have never actually been back to play there. I think I will get a good reception as a lot of Forest fans message me all the time.
“They played a big part in my life and I am like a Forest fan really but I want to beat them on Monday obviously. The City Ground atmosphere will be great but hopefully we can silence them.
“I have played there enough times to know as an away team it is a tough place to go wherever they are in the league. Cooper has done an amazing job getting them promoted , it came out of no-where really. But they have signed a lot of players in a short space of time and it might take them a little while to gel.”
Moving to Forest and then Villa has worked out superbly well for Slough-born Cash, who at 16 was left without a club after being released by Wycombe and went to work in the toy section of the local department store.
After reigniting his football career at the Bisham Abbey-based FAB football academy, Cash was picked up by Forest, where he later evolved from an attacking player into a modern right full-back. But he believes his best decision was opting to represent Poland, where his mum Barbara is from.
He was awarded citizenship last October before receiving his first call-up in November. Cash was then called up to the Poland squad for the final two 2022 World Cup qualifiers and now has seven caps.
He is eagerly anticipating next month’s World Cup finals in Qatar after captain Robert Lewandowski helped the side beat Sweden in March in a play-off to qualify for Group C with Argentina, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Cash reflected: “It is probably the best decision I have made.
“It was a discussion I had with my family a long time ago and was an opportunity I wanted to do. The previous president didn’t want me there because I couldn’t speak Polish. Then a new president came in and really wanted me and made it clear.
“He made it happen, they got in contact and got my passport like that. I spoke to the manager and he really wanted me too and I knew I could go in and make a difference.
“I love going there and the opportunity to step up to international level was really good for me. We hadn’t got to the World Cup when I signed up but hopefully we can go and have a really good tournament.”
