Nottingham Forest players were "surprised" to hear head coach Steve Cooper had signed a new contract on Friday.
Cooper penned a new three-year deal at the City Ground, a surprise move which was confirmed by the club on Friday morning after a week of serious doubts. Reports had suggested Forest were sounding out potential replacements for Cooper, with Rafa Benitez and Xabi Alonso among the names discussed.
It came as a surprise to many that Cooper had renewed fresh terms, particularly given reports earlier in the week that Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis had taken his new contract offer off the table. It was great news for supporters that a deal had been done, despite the difficult start to life in the Premier League.
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Supporters and pundits were not alone in their surprise, with the players also said to have felt the same way about the deal. According to the Daily Mail, some players did not find out about the news until they came off the training pitch on Friday.
Players are preparing for Monday night's visit of Aston Villa as they look to climb off the bottom of the Premier League table. Cooper's men have only picked up one win and a draw from their opening eight games so far. The club have renewed their faith in Cooper to lift his side up the table as the season progresses.
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