Head coach Steve Cooper believes encouraging his Nottingham Forest players to express their views can be a “powerful” tool in his team’s promotion push.
And midfielder Jack Colback is among those whose voice carries particular weight, because of the experience he can draw upon. Such know-how and nous could prove vital in the final weeks of the season.
Colback has gone from struggling to get a look-in under former boss Chris Hughton to being almost an ever-present under Cooper. His ability to fill in at left wing-back has been crucial as the Reds again find themselves without Max Lowe due to injury.
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But it is not just the 32-year-old’s excellent performances in games which have impressed his manager. The ex-Newcastle United man, who has played in the top-flight before, also has a big presence off the pitch.
“Jack is a great team player. He has good experience. He has good leadership,” said Cooper. “He’s a really good footballer, regardless of where he is on the pitch - we see that in training when we do a variety of exercises that are not too positional.
“He’s always a good contributor to fluid training sessions. He’s just a good footballer.
“He not only brings what he does as a player to the table, he’s also helping the younger lads in and around the squad as well. And I don’t just mean on the pitch, I mean in and around the training ground.
“He’s very vocal in meetings. He’s a good guy. He’s noticeable around the place.
“But at the same time, there’s a real good, sensible approach to the game. And he’s willing to share what he thinks.
“For me personally, I really like that. I want everyone to have a view and an opinion, but certainly the ones who have been around the block before to share what they may be feeling. Sometimes there’s nothing more powerful than a player talking, because they are the ones who are on the pitch playing the game, seeing it and feeling it.
“I’m very happy with Jack, on and off the pitch. But like everyone else, the objective is to not just keep going, but to continue to improve.”
