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Nottingham Forest man admits City Ground transfer was 'a risk' after Newcastle United 'mistake'
Goalkeeper Matz Sels says his January deadline day move to the City Ground was “a risk” - but the gamble has certainly paid off for the Belgian and Nottingham Forest.
Sels immediately established himself as the Reds’ No.1 when he joined midway through last season. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were in the thick of a relegation battle at the time and he played his part in helping them to get over the line.
Forest went through another reshuffle between the posts in the summer, with Odysseas Vlachodimos and Matt Turner departing and Carlos Miguel arriving. But there has been no change to Sels’ role; he remains Nuno’s first-choice.
It has been a fine start to the campaign for the 32-year-old, who was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award for October only to lose out to teammate Chris Wood. It means he now reflects on his decision to leave Strasbourg after five-and-a-half years as being a good one.
"It was a risk to go to Nottingham on Deadline Day in January,” Sels told Belgian publication De Morgen. “I only had a few hours to decide, while I was still popular at Strasbourg.
“In hindsight it worked out well. It was also a calculated risk, because Nottingham were never in the bottom three but always just above the relegation zone.
"We are now performing above expectations. But of course we are only 11 games in. The goal is still to get 40 points as soon as possible. Then we are sure that we will stay in the Premier League. After that we can perhaps set a new goal - top 10, or maybe even top eight."
Sels already had experience of English football prior to his switch Trentside. He spent two years at Newcastle United before leaving for Strasbourg in 2018, but made only 14 appearances for the Magpies.
"For 99 percent of footballers, the Premier League is a dream. I can only confirm that,” Sels said. “I have not seen the intensity there anywhere else. Every day I work hard to prove that I am worthy of playing in the Premier League.
“Why is it working now and not eight years ago at Newcastle? That was my first time abroad and the beginning was just very difficult, which meant that I was behind the facts. That was one of my biggest mistakes. I have never been able to turn that negative perception around.
"Ultimately, I don't look back on that period with resentment, because it's part of the job. Every footballer has a period when things aren't going so well. That makes you stronger. The most important thing is how you deal with those moments. I then chose to get playing opportunities elsewhere.
"You know, as a goalkeeper you get better as you get older - provided you take care of yourself and feel physically well. I have played almost 400 games now; then you can read the situations more easily.”
