Nottingham Forest have limped to a disappointing mid-table finish this term, with fans left frustrated by their side’s campaign following the sacking of Mark Warburton and inconsistent form.

With Aitor Karanka now at the helm, not much has changed at the City Ground and results continue to be poor and many will just pray that the closing weeks of the season fly by and the club can rebuild over the summer.

The Spaniard will be a busy man when the windows opens, bringing in a plethora of his own men to build a squad capable of challenging for a place in the top six, but should he consider bringing back a blast from the past for fans in the shape of academy graduate Michael Dawson who left for Tottenham thirteen years ago?

Here we take a look at the pros and cons of such a move…

Dawson spent nine years in north London with Spurs before switching to Hull City in 2014 where he endured the hardships of relegation as well as the euphoria of promotion, and there are not many more experienced than the 34-year-old in the Football League.

Having seen a lot in his time and established himself as a consistent Premier League starter, earning him four England caps and leading Carlos Tevez to label him the ‘best English defender’ he had ever come up against, bringing the player back to the City Ground on a free transfer in the summer appears to make perfect sense for Karanka, who needs wisdom in what is a very young but talented squad.

Having joined the Reds as a fresh-faced 14-year-old back in 1997, Dawson spent eight years with the club before his switch to Spurs.

He will maintain fond memories of the club to which he owes so much for affording him his first opportunity in the game and Dawson will surely jump at the chance to re-join his boyhood side should an offer materialise in the summer.

Karanka has many youth team graduates in his squad and to have a man that worked his way through the system before progressing his career to international level will surely serve as an inspiration to his young charges.

Dawson would be an excellent example to have around.

Karanka will hope to put his own mark on the squad this summer, but will he undermine himself by bringing in a player that has connections with previous regimes at the club?

The Spaniard will be completely unaware of what the club was like twelve years ago and a lot has changed since then, but he may be hesitant to bring the player back to where it all began for fear of losing his dominance within the dressing room.

Dawson offers no threat to the manager’s authority, but he may harbour reservations over a potential move due to this reason.

Dawson will be 35-years-old early into the new campaign and Karanka may be hesitant about adding an ageing player to his squad given that he has younger, willing options waiting in the wings.

Joe Worrall has been excellent at the back and signing Tobias Figueiredo on a permanent deal from Sporting Lisbon will surely be a priority.

Is Dawson needed and will he still be capable of competing at the level Karanka will certainly expect from his player’s next season?

He has done well for Hull this year despite their dire league position, but questions will hang over whether this could prove to be his final productive season.

Forest fans, thoughts?