Nottingham Forest midfielder Ryan Yates will have brushed off any plaudits which have come his way in recent weeks.
Boss Steve Cooper says the 24-year-old will instead only have listened to advice on how he can keep improving. And his sole focus will be on getting stuck in against Arsenal on Sunday, when the Reds take on the Premier League pace-setters at the Emirates Stadium.
Yates has been one of Forest’s most consistent performers of late. But he particularly caught the eye with a standout display in last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Liverpool.
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Afterwards, Cooper hailed his contribution as a great example for the next generation of talent at the Nigel Doughty Academy who will hope to one day follow in the vice-captain’s footsteps. It didn’t take 90 minutes against Jurgen Klopp’s side to prove to the Reds boss what Yates has to offer, though.
“It didn’t take Saturday to show that; he shows it every day. But, when you look back at that one game, you can see what he is,” Cooper said.
“Yatesy will just be desperate to do well in the next game he gets picked to play in. That’s where our focus is.
“But if you talk overall about him, he’s just a brilliant lad and a real professional. He has amazing strength of character and does his best to improve every single day and in every game he plays in.
“He will not want to hear any of that. All he will want to do is be focused on, if selected, how he can be at his best and have an impact on the Arsenal game. That is what we all like about him the most.
“He is a nice guy off the pitch. You have heard me talk about character and belief quite a bit. In all elite sport, if you want to get to the top of anything, you have to have that. He certainly has that (edge), for sure.”
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