Max Lowe admits he blocked out social media after joining Nottingham Forest in the summer.

Lowe came through the ranks at the Reds' bitter rivals Derby County, making 48 appearances before leaving them last summer.

The left-back joined Sheffield United in a double deal alongside Jayden Bogle, but found game time hard to come by at Bramall Lane.

Lowe made only eight appearances for United in the Premier League last season, as the Blades were eventually relegated to the Championship.

After falling down the pecking order at Bramall Lane, Forest swooped to bring in Lowe on loan for the season a fortnight ago.

Despite his obvious links with Derby County, though, Lowe has admitted that he put that to the back of his mind as he looked to embark on a new adventure.

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, though, Lowe did admit that he blocked out social media following his move to avoid hearing negative comments from Derby fans.

He said: "It was in the back of my mind, but my gut feeling was it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.

“The way I naturally felt about the move was enough for me to go through with it. I knew I was going to get stick on social media, but I just blocked that out, ignored it and got on with it.

“I’m really happy to be here. I just want the games to keep coming now so we can all move forward and get some points on the board.”

The Verdict

Few players have crossed the East Midlands divide in recent years, but this one doesn't seem as surprising given that Lowe moved on from Derby last year.

He moved up to the Premier League with the Blades in what would have been a big opportunity for him, but it didn't work out for him and that's football.

He will now look to get back to playing regularly, and he should get plenty of game time whilst at the City Ground under Chris Hughton.