Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper says he is "honoured" to have been named Manager of the Year by the Midlands Football Writers' Association.
Cooper was appointed as Forest boss in September 2021 and has been the chief engineer of an incredible turnaround in form at the City Ground. The Reds had won just once in eight Championship matches when Cooper took the reigns from Steven Reid (interim manager) after Chris Hughton's departure.
In the immediate weeks after his appointment, Cooper picked up eight wins from 15 - he lost just once in that time frame.
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Now, however, the Reds have spent the last six matchdays in the Championship play-off spots and are close to confirming an extension to the league campaign. In addition to his brilliant form in the league, Forest beat Arsenal, Leicester City and Huddersfield Town before a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Cooper, who was unable to attend the Midlands FWA awards event in person, said in a written letter that he was "honored" to receive the award.
He said : "Thank you for the award. I would also like to thank FWA members for the hard work you do covering our club and all those others in the Midlands. I know that whether you are working for newspapers, agencies, television, radio or podcasting; and whether you are staff or freelance, it is your words that shape the views of fans all over the country and beyond.
"It is your passion for the clubs in this region, and your insight, which ensures we are covered at local, regional and national level. That is something we take very seriously at Forest. Reporters and managers may not always see things the same way - that is inevitable. But during my time at Forest, I have appreciated the open conversations I have had with many of you about the game we love."
