Former Nottingham Forest player Lewis McGugan has admitted that he didn't want to leave the club when he joined Watford back in 2013.

The creative midfielder, who came through the ranks at the City Ground, was one of the most exciting players at the club during his years with the Reds.

McGugan often impressed with his ability on the ball and he scored some memorable long-range strikes.

However, his time with Forest was up in 2013 as he left to join Watford on a free and McGugan opened up on that deal when speaking to TalkSPORT - and he made it clear the move wasn't down to him.

"It’s one of the major regrets I’ve got in the sense of that I don’t think the fans knew or quite understood the full picture of the departure. It’s sad for me because I live in Nottingham and I’m around the fans daily.

"I had no choice. In my head I was staying at Forest and that’s what I wanted to do, and I was waiting for the offer to stay – which never came. I knew there was a prior interest from another club, but I was adamant that if it was possible to stay at Forest I was going to stay at Forest as this was where I wanted to be."

McGugan went on to play for the Hornets, Sheffield Wednesday and Northampton Town.

QUIZ: Can you identify these 15 Nottingham Forest players purely based on their date of birth and birthplace?

The verdict

It was a shame how things ended for McGugan at Forest as he was a top player for a few years and someone who the fans loved.

Obviously, he ended up moving on and it was a long time ago now but it's clear now that he didn't want to leave and he still has a lot of love for Forest.

But, these things happen, although it was a shame McGugan didn't go on to have the career he seemed capable of.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.