Former Nottingham Forest forward Simon Cox has admitted that he loved playing for Billy Davies when the Scotsman was at the helm at The City Ground. 

Cox, who spoke to the Garibaldi Red podcast (as cited by Nottingham Forest News) about some of the managers he has come across during his career, heaped praise on the manager who departed the Midlands club in 2014.

The recently retired striker spent two years with Forest between 2012 and 2014, scoring 14 goals in the process.

 

 

Speaking on the Garibaldi Red podcast, Cox outlined why he had so much respect for Davies as a coach: “I loved him. Thought he was amazing to work for. He was very intense.

“You didn’t know what you’d get each day, but as a coach, very good. He got everyone believing that what he said was gospel, but his paranoia didn’t help him along the line.”

The verdict

Davies instilled great belief into his Forest side, during both his spells with the club and it is no surprise to see a former player heap praise on his methods.

He also got Forest playing some excellent, attractive football, with Cox evidently enjoying that time in his career.

Despite netting just 14 goals in his two years at the club, and two years working under Davies, Cox's desire and high-pressing tendencies saw him emerge as a good performer at Championship level.

Some managers can get a lot out of an individual, and it appears that Davies helped develop Cox into a relentless player for Forest at the time.