Nottingham Forest loanee Lewis O’Brien says he feels like himself again after playing his first game for more than two months.
The midfielder made his debut for DC United on Sunday. He played the full 90 minutes as the MLS outfit lost 2-0 at home to Columbus Crew.
O’Brien’s first appearance for Wayne Rooney’s side came more than a fortnight after his move was confirmed, having had to wait for work visa approval before making his debut. He headed across the Atlantic after a loan to Blackburn Rovers fell through on January transfer deadline day.
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“I feel like I’m back to myself now, back to being happy, back to doing what I love to do, which is playing football,” the 24-year-old told the Washington Post after the full-time whistle. “It’s probably a unique situation, which won’t happen to anyone ever again, and I’ve got to see the positives in it.”
O’Brien’s deal with Rovers collapsed due to an issue over the timing of paperwork being filed. Blackburn failed in a bid to overturn the English Football League’s decision not to approve the move, and that left the player in limbo as he had been left out of Forest’s revised 25-man Premier League squad.
The former Huddersfield Town man had a number of possible options in America, but United were the ones to secure his signature. His loan runs until July 16, although there is an option to make the move permanent.
Sunday was O’Brien’s first match since January, when he came off the bench for Steve Cooper’s team against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup. He went close to getting an assist late on, but couldn’t prevent the Black and Reds from falling to a sixth game without a win.
O’Brien made the move to the City Ground in the summer from the Terriers. He made 17 appearances in the Garibaldi prior to his loan switch.
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