Former Nottingham Forest youngster Anel Ahmedhodzic has credited the Reds with playing a key part in his development.
The 23-year-old is currently impressing in the Championship with Sheffield United, following his £4m move from Malmo this summer. Amid some eye-catching performances, the defender has bagged three goals in eight appearances so far this season.
Ahmedhodzic joined the Reds’ Nigel Doughty Academy in 2016. He featured just once for the first-team, when he came off the bench in a 3-1 Championship defeat at Newcastle United that December.
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He left the City Ground for Malmo three years later, going on to have loan spells at Hobro and Bordeaux. At one stage, he was linked with the likes of Chelsea, AC Milan and PSV Eindhoven, while Blackburn Rovers were said to be rivalling the Blades for his signature this summer.
Ahmedhodzic says his time at Forest had a big impact on him. His move to Bramall Lane saw him reunited with coach Jack Lester, who he knows from his time Trentside.
“I enjoyed it at Forest in their academy because I improved so much as a player but especially as a person,” the centre-back told The Sportsman. “I worked with Jack Lester, who is on the first-team coaching staff here at Sheffield United now, and Gary Brazil.
“They were a big part of my development and they pushed me every day to train harder and have a professional lifestyle. I was still young and I’m very happy that I made that move to England early in my career.
“The best development a young player can have is from coming to England because everything is so professional. It gives you the right mentality from an early age. You can have all the talent in the world, but mentality is so important.”
And with that in mind, Ahmedhodzic is not short of ambition. He added: “I think I can go all the way.
“Of course my goal is to play in the Premier League next year with Sheffield United. That’s my main focus right now but there is no limit to how good I can be, and I want to play in the Champions League week in, week out.
“I did that with Malmo last season and I enjoyed it because I knew I had to stay focused all the time. If you switch off for a second, you will concede a goal. I want to experience the Champions League again, but first it’s about getting promoted this year.”
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