Winning the Championship play-off final would allow Nottingham Forest to “write new history” that can be discussed for years to come, midfielder Ryan Yates has said.
A place in the top flight for the first time in more than two decades is on the line when Forest take on Huddersfield at Wembley on Sunday. Yates was younger than two years old when the club last played a Premier League fixture.
Growing up in the club’s academy, Yates said players are surrounded by talk of the Reds’ best years, of titles and European triumphs. While he appreciates that, he wants something new for supporters to discuss in the years to come.
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"Times have changed a lot, so we are looking forward to creating our own history now.,” he told the Independent. “For me personally that is a huge motivation
“Ever since I have been at the academy, all the talk has been about what happened before, the European Cups, the ex-players, which is absolutely amazing that the club has got the history, but when it has been so so long, it is time to write new history and we certainly want to be in the history books. That is something that motivates me personally.”
Hailing from a family of Forest fans, there might be a sense there is a greater pressure on Yates to help the club get back to the promised land. Rather, the big task has been making sure the Yates clan will be at Wembley on Sunday.
“Personally I try not to think about it too much,” he said on the size of the occasion. “You’re trying to sort all the tickets, so when you’ve got a million and one people asking for a ticket, naturally you do think about it all of the time.
“It’s going to be a massive, massive occasion, and one we have to thrive in. At the end of the day we have got a job to do. I have been trying to put all that to one side and focus myself so I can perform at the best level I can. Our job is to go and win the game.”
