Free agent Jesse Lingard will be sorely missed by his Nottingham Forest teammates, according to striker Taiwo Awoniyi.
Lingard was one of six players released by the Reds when their contracts expired this summer. It brought an end to his year-long stay at the City Ground.
The former Manchester United attacker didn’t quite make the impact it was hoped he would as he struggled for regular game time. But he remained an integral part of the dressing room as Steve Cooper’s side retained their Premier League status.
The unity among the players was central to their survival mission. And while Lingard searches for a new club, Awoniyi has underlined the role he played in creating the sense of togetherness which helped get Forest over the line.
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“To be honest, I think he is someone we are going to really miss because we all see just only the weekends,” Awoniyi told Soccernet. “But imagine being the club that we all have turned (into) families.
“We see each other everyday, so he is no more like just a friend. For me, this is how I see it, because you have to see the same person everyday, consistently for maybe one year or thereabout, and the same goes for him.
“For me, I used to call him a big player because he is a big player, because of what he has done and with what he is doing. And with the vibes he brings.
“He used to call me and (Emmanuel) Dennis ‘My Super Eagle’. He is just someone that is fun to be with, very easy, very friendly, and this is the part where I personally will miss about him because he is someone that really took everyone closer to him.”
Since his departure from Forest was confirmed, Lingard has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. He is said to be considering offers from three sides and hasn’t ruled anything out.
"I'm considering all options. I've never ruled any team out, any club out, so for me it's just picking the right team that's going to be right for me - I just want to play football at the end of the day, that's all I want to do,” he has said.
"The project's got to be well-suited for me, the team's got to be going in a good direction. Literally, it's just regular game time - I'm still hungry, working hard out here…
"Saudi Arabia are doing big things, and in the next year or so it will be one of the hotspots to go to. I'm not really surprised that loads of big names are moving out there. Obviously it's something I'm going to consider as well, I've not ruled that out either - like I say, it's just got to be right for me at the end of the day."
