'Beautiful' moment sums up key Nottingham Forest quality as Nuno makes Liverpool point
Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo hailed a “beautiful” moment as midfielder Danilo made his comeback from injury.
The Brazilian had been sidelined since the opening day of the season after breaking his ankle just a few minutes into the Reds’ 1-1 draw with Bournemouth. But he made his return at the City Ground as Forest beat Luton Town 2-0 to progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup.
As soon as it became clear Danilo was about to be brought off the bench, Forest fans started singing his name. And they all rose to their feet when he came on in the 85th minute to replace James Ward-Prowse.
“It was beautiful. When he came to the touchline, immediately all our fans started singing. It was beautiful,” Nuno said.
“It is good to have him around. He is not 100 percent yet, as you can see. But slowly, he can become a good option for us.”
For Nuno, the supporters have played a key role in the Reds’ winning run of the last few weeks. Seeing off the Hatters, courtesy of goals from Ryan Yates and Ramon Sosa, made it seven wins in a row in all competitions ahead of Tuesday night’s clash at home to Liverpool. Forest go into the game against the league leaders at the City Ground just six points behind them in the table.
“We have to keep on going and improve it,” Nuno said of the sense of unity at the club. “Today, the way the fans started singing with us showed that we and the fans and the city are all the same. I believe it is everybody together and we can be stronger like that.
“It is very important to keep the momentum, the spirit and the habit going. It is always nice when we go to tomorrow with a smile and prepare for a tough game. If we are happy, it is easier.”
