Nottingham Forest youngster Ryan Yates has been impressing in the Nottingham Forest first team recently, and he has set a precedent for more outcasts to impress in Martin O’Neill’s side. 

The midfielder, still only 20, featured in two successive Forest games and has arguably been their best player. 

Yates scored in the game at the Hawthorns midweek, where Forest were robbed of all three points due to a controversial late penalty scored by Jay Rodriguez.

It was the second time Forest have had a serious case to be angry against a top-six rival this season, the first being when Kemar Roofe scored with his hand for Leeds.

Last weekend, Ryan Yates was man of the match as Forest beat Brentford at the City Ground. 

Now, other Forest outcasts must look up to him and be on their toes ready to impress should O’Neill decide to use them.

The Reds boss was quoted by the Nottingham Post in saying that these sorts of players have a “fairly decent chance” of getting some game time between now and the end of the campaign. 

“Whether it is five minutes, 20 minutes or five consecutive games. That is how it will be, because I need to find out about these players as quickly as possible,” said O’Neill. 

Players like Liam Bridcutt and Jamie Ward decided to stay at the club in January despite the potential of an exit.

Now with Yates’ form, they may see a route into the first team, as may younger talents.

Martin O’Neill seems to be getting the best out of his Forest team after a tricky first month in the job.

The Reds are still within a chance of the play-offs, and who knows who may be called upon to bolster that chance.