Steve Cooper was a busy man over the course of the winter transfer window and one name that he did manage to swoop in and sign was Richie Laryea - and the boss has told Nottinghamshire Live that he will 'have an opportunity to make an impact' for his new side.

The 27-year-old, up to the point of his move, had never stepped foot out of the USA, instead playing his football for both Orlando City and then Toronto.

After falling out of favour with the former of the two, he swapped to Toronto and thrived. He was given more action and ultimately scored more goals too. With 27 appearances this year and three goals along the way, he caught the eye of Forest and has now swapped the MLS for the Championship.

He's yet to feature for his new side as of yet but there are plenty of games left this campaign and Steve Cooper has now revealed to Nottinghamshire Live that he will certainly get his chance for them in the future.

Speaking about Laryea, he said: "We got him on the bench on Sunday.

"I know he didn’t get into the game, but it was good for him to get involved in the warm-ups and be in and around the surroundings. That’s important. It’s good that he can stay with us now and be part of what we are doing.

“Like everybody, he’ll have an opportunity to make an impact."

Laryea then could be thrown straight into a play-off battle, with Forest eager to kick on and potentially seal a top six spot in the second half of the campaign. If he is up to the task, then he could be a really good addition for the club.

The Verdict

Richie Laryea will soon get the chance to show what he is all about in England then and it will be intriguing to see how he performs in a new environment, a new climate and at a new club.

He certainly looked the part in the MLS and there have been plenty of players who have come over from America and done a solid job - and ultimately gone down as heroes in the EFL and Premier League. Laryea will be hoping that come the end of his tenure, he will fall into that category.

He could be an exciting signing for Steve Cooper and while he hasn't featured yet, that largely comes down to him coming into a new squad and also the fact he has been on international duty. Now that he is firmly at the City Ground, it will give him the chance to try and work his way into the team.

It wouldn't be surprising to at least see him get the nod off the bench at some point in the next two weeks for Steve Cooper.