Joe Worrall has hailed "fantastic" Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and the transfer business done by the club so far this summer.
Forest are gearing up for their Premier League return in 23 years, after securing promotion through the play-off final against Huddersfield Town. Marinakis has since shown his backing in the transfer market, with around £70million spent on new signings so far.
To date, the Reds have welcomed 11 senior signings and a 12th is pending, with the expected arrival of VfB Stuttgard midfielder Orel Mangala. Captain Worrall has spoken about the high-profile signing of former Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard - and has been equally impressed with the recruitment as a whole.
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"I think the owner [Evangelos Marinakis] has been fantastic," Worrall told talkSPORT. "He stood on the balcony over the Market Square when we had our parade and said, 'Look, Forest aren't here to make the numbers up'.
"He's shown that by signing the players he has and spending the money he has, and bringing in the calibre of players he has. Everything is structured through the club, from the owners to the directors, from the manager to the players.
"The DNA of the club is something we need to carry on to next season. The success we had in the Championship wasn't by luck, it wasn't by just plucking players from thin air and signing them and hoping they'll do well. Everything was calculated and all the players performed to the top level last year."
As preparations continue for their Premier League opener with a trip away to Newcastle United, Worrall did sound a warning to his team-mates that they will need to step up their game in the top flight if they are to stay there.
"If we perform to the levels we did last year, then we'll struggle, because we were in the Championship," Worrall added. "We need to go above and beyond this season and we need to outdo ourselves this year and really go for the jugular, because teams that sit back and try damage limitation normally get punished in the Premier League, and that's not what Forest need to be.
"Forest are a club that if we look back through the years, we've had many international players playing for us - the likes of Stuart Pearce, Des Walker, Peter Shilton - players who are in the archives of history in football, never mind Forest. That's the level we're aspiring to, and really getting back to the top."
How grateful are you for what Evangelos Marinakis' has done for the club? Have your say in the comments section below...
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