Jack Colback could complete a remarkable comeback story this weekend if he lines up against Newcastle United at St. James' Park. The former Magpies midfielder saw his time at the club end sourly, training with the youth sides on a number of occasions and was excluded from the team photo by then boss, Rafa Benitez.
Colback turned down a number of loan moves away from the club, citing geographical reasons, spending two years on loan with Nottingham Forest before he was eventually released by Newcastle in the summer of 2020. The former Sunderland academy graduate would make the move to City Ground a permanent one in 2020.
The 32-year-old has been a mainstay in Forest's side since Steve Cooper's arrival, playing 44 times in all competitions last season, scoring four goals. However, it wasn't all plain sailing for the Newcastle-born midfielder.
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Colback has had to prove Forest fans wrong after a string of poor performances in the 2020/21 campaign, becoming a key figure in Cooper's Championship play-off winning squad. Speaking about Colback's qualities last season, Cooper told Nottinghamshire Live : “Jack is a great team player.
"He has good experience. He has good leadership. He’s a really good footballer, regardless of where he is on the pitch - we see that in training when we do a variety of exercises that are not too positional.
“He’s always a good contributor to fluid training sessions. He’s just a good footballer. He not only brings what he does as a player to the table, he’s also helping the younger lads in and around the squad as well. And I don’t just mean on the pitch, I mean in and around the training ground.
“He’s very vocal in meetings. He’s a good guy. He’s noticeable around the place. But at the same time, there’s a real good, sensible approach to the game. And he’s willing to share what he thinks.
“For me personally, I really like that. I want everyone to have a view and an opinion, but certainly the ones who have been around the block before to share what they may be feeling. Sometimes there’s nothing more powerful than a player talking, because they are the ones who are on the pitch playing the game, seeing it and feeling it.
“I’m very happy with Jack, on and off the pitch. But like everyone else, the objective is to not just keep going, but to continue to improve.”
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