When Jonathan Panzo signed for Nottingham Forest on deadline day of the January transfer window, few would have expected him to be entering April having still not made a first-team appearance.
The 21-year-old central defender was one of two players to move to the City Ground in the final hours of the window, but his fellow deadline day signing Sam Surridge has found a fair amount of playing time partly thanks to Lewis Grabban's injury.
This signing was meant to be the reunion of a young player and coach who had worked together in the England youth set-up and achieved success. For Panzo, however, he continues to be overlooked even after injuries to Scott McKenna and Steve Cook.
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Shortly after the former England youth international moved to the City Ground, boss Steve Cooper made it clear he had some work to do on his match sharpness in order to be involved in the first-team picture.
"He’s come in having not played a lot of minutes or had a lot of games, and even really a proper training programme," Cooper said back in February.
"There’s no rush with him, that’s for sure. He played in that game last week against Norwich, which I think was really good for him. It allowed him to do some good things, do some indifferent things, which a few of them did.
"He is just needing to get a body of minutes into him, to be ready if called upon - the same as the other boys.
"His programme is slightly different at the moment, because he’s definitely playing catch-up physically. It’s one of them where it’s just a bit of a settling-in period. We’re enjoying working with him."
Since Cooper's comments on February 25, Panzo has played two sets of full ninety minutes for Andy Reid's Under-23s side - against Wolves (1-0 win) and Sunderland (3-0 win).
READ MORE: Nottingham Forest Under-23s player ratings vs Wolves: Panzo shines as Swan scores
He was absent from the U23s squad for fixtures against West Brom and Southampton, but it is clear to see that he is making a positive impression at the Nigel Doughty Academy.
"He is a great professional. He's enthusiastic and has got good experience and energy too," U23s assistant head coach Dave Rogers told Nottinghamshire Live after the Reds' 1-0 win over Wolves.
"He brings a great vibe to the dressing room too.
"It's great to see Panzo getting more game time because he seems to be getting better and better each time he plays. It's been fantastic to have him with us and the boys have really enjoyed having him around. He's been great to coach."
Asked whether he could soon be getting more involved with the first-team though, Rogers responded: "That's down to the gaffer and the first-team staff. They assess him and decide whether he is ready to step in.
"For us, all we can do is give him that opportunity to play with us and improve his match fitness."
Joe Worrall is almost certainly one of the first names on the team sheet. His excellent form in addition to the other many attributes he holds - leadership, motivation, encouragement, resilience and determination to name a few - makes him almost undroppable currently.
Injuries to Cook and McKenna have meant that, rather than Panzo, a door has been reopened for Tobias Figueiredo. In fact, Panzo may feel slightly frustrated given - had it not been for the late submission of paperwork - the Portuguese defender would no longer be at the City Ground.
The defender, whose bursting runs from central midfield makes him a delight to watch, will eventually get his opportunity, however.
Having suffered set-back after set-back during his career, it is easy enough to sympathise with Panzo for his tough start to life on the banks of the River Trent.
He continues to be a young prospect, however, and - if he continues the fine performances for the U23s that have seen him become so popular - it will not be long before his repeated knocking on Cooper's door is rewarded.
What have you made of Panzo's performances for the Under-23s? Is it time Steve Cooper gives him a chance in the first-team? Let us know in the comments section here...
