Ryan Yates epitomises the direction every young footballer hopes they can move in. 18 months ago he joined a League Two side on loan and did well.

12 months ago he was recalled by Nottingham Forest and loaned to a League One side, again doing well. This summer he chose to stay at the City Ground and fight for his place.

That didn't work out for him, not at first. Aitor Karanka couldn't find a place in his squad for the Lincoln-born midfielder and a winter exit loomed. Luckily for Yates, Karanka left and Martin O'Neill arrived.

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Since then, he hasn't looked back. A fresh set of eyes have spotted his immense talent and he's become integral to the Forest first team set up. From League Two to the Championship in three easy steps.

He made his first start for the club against Brentford last month and made it four appearances in a row last night against Derby. How did the 21-year-old get on in his first East Midlands battle?

We shine our FLW spotlight on him to find out.

As a young man, Yates couldn't have expected the run of matches he's been getting, but Forest are unbeaten with the midfielder in their side. They kept that up last night thanks to Yohan Benalouane's second minute goal, but might have had more.

Yates managed to get three shots off during his 90 minutes on the field, although he didn't add a second goal. It was a tough match, low on quality and high on application, but it suited his battling qualities well.

He made two interceptions in the middle of the park and was fouled on three occasions to win his side a free kick. He was in the thick of the action, always a willing runner and ready to make a challenge.

 

He won one aerial duel too, as well as making 26 passes throughout the match. Of those 26, 76.9% were successful.

It might not have been an eye-catching display, it might not have written any headlines, but it was evidence that this exciting young man can do the dirty work, fight when needed and has the attributes to help push Forest towards a top six finish.