Boss Steve Cooper says Jonathan Panzo should be pleased with his performance on his Nottingham Forest debut.
The defender joined the Reds on January transfer deadline day, making the move from Dijon in a deal worth about £1.5million. But he has had to wait for his chance to pull on the Garibaldi.
The 21-year-old has impressed for the Under-23s since arriving at the City Ground. And on Saturday, he was handed his first appearance for the senior side.
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Cooper made seven changes to his starting XI for the final game of the regular season at Hull City, taking the opportunity to give some players the chance to rest and recover from knocks ahead of the play-offs. Panzo was included in the starting XI, lining up alongside Joe Worrall and Tobias Figueiredo in a three-man back line. He played 65 minutes of the 1-1 draw, before the Forest head coach turned to his bench in an attempt to win the game.
“I thought he did well. Bringing him off was just tactical, because we wanted to get wingers and a bit more higher width on the pitch, but he did well,” said Cooper.
“It was good for him to get his first start. He showed some good bits and grew into the game.
“He should be satisfied with how he did. We are.”
Panzo posted a message on social media after the match. He wrote: “Delighted to finally make my debut for @officialnffc, not the win we wanted but onto the play offs!”
Having to settle for a point at the MKM Stadium saw the Reds finish fourth in the Championship table. And that sets up a play-offs semi-final against Sheffield United, with the first leg to be played at Bramall Lane on Saturday.
