Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Ethan Horvath says the prospect of regular game time was a key factor in his loan move to Luton Town.
And his previous experience of the atmosphere at Kenilworth Road helped seal the deal. The American was on the bench when the Reds made the trip to take on the Hatters in April, in a key clash which controversially ended in a 1-0 defeat. Horvath hopes that this coming season, however, he will be out there on the pitch.
The 27-year-old will spend the 2022/23 campaign with Nathan Jones’ side as Forest reshuffle their goalkeeping department. Dean Henderson’s arrival makes for a new No.1 at the City Ground, which would have left Horvath still in the role of back-up, despite the departure of Brice Samba. With a place in the US squad for this year’s World Cup on the line, the switch to Luton offers the chance to stake his claim for a seat on the plane to Qatar.
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“I would say that’s top of the list,” the shot-stopper told the club website. “The World Cup is coming up, so obviously I want to be playing regularly for that. At the end of the day, I want to be part of an organisation and a team who believes in what they preach.
“My first talk with the manager was a real positive one. Pretty much from that first conversation, in my head I said, ‘okay, Luton is the place I want to go’. I feel like I can grow my name and grow as a person here and they will help me to do that.
“From the first conversation I had with the manager, telling me his goals and ambitions as well for the club - to one day reach the Premier League - it made me think that is something I want to be a part of. Luton is a club that is growing in every way possible, so after the first conversation I had with him, it made me think I want to be a part of what is going on at Luton because it’s on the up.”
And Horvath is well aware what to expect when he runs out for his first home game. Recalling his visit with Forest, he added: “It was my first time coming to the stadium and I think the best word I can use for it is ‘experience’. It was a fantastic experience.
“When it’s going right or not going right, when the fans come in the gate, the energy they bring is amazing. I can’t wait to meet them and get going in front of them.”
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