For Ryan Yates, seeing a succession of signings come through the doors at Nottingham Forest is nothing new - but the calibre of some of those brought in throughout the past year has been an eye-opener.
Having come up through the ranks, Yates has seen countless players come and go at the City Ground as the Reds tried to end their Premier League exile. Promotion almost 12 months ago meant an overhaul on a scale not seen before, though, as 29 new additions came in across two transfer windows.
Despite the turnover and some not getting as much game time as they would have liked, head coach Steve Cooper was able to keep everyone united behind the cause. That togetherness proved key as survival was secured with victory over Arsenal. But for Yates, having the opportunity to learn from the likes of three-time Champions League winner Keylor Navas and former Atletico Madrid defender Felipe was just as valuable an experience as the challenge of competing in the top-flight.
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“It was a massive change,” the midfielder said of the influx of new faces. “It’s been like that for a long time at Forest; we’ve signed a lot of players, even in the Championship. For the likes of me, Joe (Worrall) and Brennan (Johnson), we’ve seen a lot of players come and go.
“Some of the signings have been unbelievable; high-calibre signings. Having Keylor Navas coming in, who’s won Champions Leagues. For us guys, just trying to get experience and learn off these guys is fantastic.
“You’re just trying to take things off them, the little things like how they prepare for games, how they train and how they look after themselves. I think these guys really do take it to the next level. If that’s where we want to be, that’s what we’ve got to aspire to do.
“If you just take a step back and look at how many players the manager’s had to manage, it’s difficult enough at the best of times, but first year in the Premier League and with so many different players, he’s done an incredible job to get us over the line.
“When they come in, players want to know what it’s like, what the City Ground is like, what the supporters are like. I just say, wait until Saturday and you’ll see.
“They just know straight away, after their first home game, what a special club it is and how much we can make an impact in the community of Nottingham. That was something the manager touched on pre-game for us, it just gave us that extra little bit of motivation going into the (Arsenal) game.
“It’s just been a real learning experience for me. It’s been the first season in the Premier League for quite a few of us, but we’ve just embraced it.
“It’s been challenge after challenge. Full credit to everyone, everyone deserves it because everyone has been through thick and thin with us. Everyone associated with the club deserves another season in the Premier League, and hopefully it’s an even better one.”
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