Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper has made clear that they will "silence out the noise" surrounding Jesse Lingard's transfer to the club this summer.
The 29-year-old was announced as a Forest player a week ago but continues to be subjected to criticism from some quarters for the reasons behind choosing the Reds over former club West Ham United, despite spending half a season on loan in the capital and David Moyes ' side playing in the Europa Conference League this season. Lingard looks set to have the first opportunity to answer those critics this weekend at Meadow Lane against Valencia, one week before the Premier League season starts.
Amid the outrage, there have, though, been defences made of the England international by the likes of Gabby Agbonlahor and Gary Lineker. Cooper has now insisted that those inside the club "don’t think too much about what other people say".
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“Jesse wants to play for Nottingham Forest," Cooper is quoted as saying on the club's official website," he wants to be part of this team and part of how we work and play.
“He’s been a real positive influence around everybody so far, he’s a really positive, good addition, and we can’t wait to work with him.
“He knows that he’s got a lot to play for because when you play for Forest, that’s how it is.
“We don’t think too much about what other people say; we just try and do the best we can internally and believe in what we do. We silence out the noise apart from the one our supporters make."
What do you make of Cooper's claims? Have your say in the comments...
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