Head coach Steve Cooper has praised Jack Colback for the key role he continues to play for Nottingham Forest, but he is tight-lipped over what the future holds for the midfielder.
Illness and a back problem have hampered Colback this season, while increased competition in the centre of the pitch means he has generally had to settle for coming off the bench. That hasn’t stopped him from making a significant contribution, though.
His experience and nous are invaluable for the Reds as they navigate the challenges of top-flight football. And whenever called upon, he has done an excellent job - as was the case when he came on for the second half of last weekend’s 1-0 win over Leeds United.
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The 33-year-old is one of several players whose contracts will come to an end in the summer. Decisions will have to be made by the club in the coming months over whether to offer fresh terms or see those concerned walk away as free agents. When it comes to Colback, Cooper has given little away about what could happen.
Asked if he had started discussing the situation with the former Newcastle United man, Cooper said: “I haven’t, no. But we have a strong relationship with Jack and hopefully treat him like we should treat a senior player - that’s to be more than just a player. I think he enjoys that responsibility. That’s more where my focus is with him.”
“He’s been hugely important, and he will continue to be very important,” Cooper added. “When you see Jack come on and you see why he comes on and what he offers, that probably does all of the talking and all of the answering to any questions.
“He’s been really unlucky with illness. He had covid a while ago. It hit him hard and took him a while to recover; it set him back.
“To be honest, pre-season was a bit indifferent, but Jack was probably the most consistent player in pre-season. He started the first game of the season, and then he got ill after that. That knocked him back a little bit and he’s had a bad back to manage as well.
“He was ill two weeks ago. And actually, for him to play 45 minutes, as he did against Leeds, was really good that he was able to do that physically, but it was also great for us that he was able to do the job he did. He’s great for those sorts of moments, because of the experience he has and the type of player he is. We’re still really fond of Jack and the part he plays for us.”
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