Mr Nottingham Forest

Joe Worrall is as ‘one of our own’ as it gets. Very few fans and clubs are lucky enough to have a captain that represents the people of the city and leads with such authenticity and integrity.

So who better to lead us back to the promised land after 23 years in exile?

You couldn’t write this script if you tried. The boyhood fan, academy graduate, local-lad turned local-legend spearheads the seemingly impossible rise from bottom of the league to promotion through the playoffs.

I’d just about exhausted the owd tear ducts on Sunday when I was sent a clip of his post-match interview. His honesty and raw emotion captured the magic of the moment and will be rewatched and remembered for years to come.

So whilst I’m confident it is a formality, Marinakis ought to be throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at Worrall, ensuring he is paid handsomely to remain at Forest for the long term. This is because Joe Worrall is a thermostat; he sets the temperature and culture. When he speaks, you listen.

Leadership is best defined as influence and Worrall has that in abundance. His influence on the entire squad is precious. Particularly as we invest and bring in new players, Worrall’s captaincy will be crucial in ensuring they seamlessly transition into this tight knit group.

From playing with broken ribs to his celebrations in front of the Leicester fans, Forest means as much to Worrall as it does to us and not a minute passes in a match where he doesn’t show that. For me, he would have been our greatest loss if we failed at Wembley and sold him to a top flight club. His presence, leadership and quality is hard to come by.

So I say this with total sincerity: there is no other football player on this planet I’d prefer to lead this team, particularly as we make our long awaited return to the Premier league.

He’s one of our own.

Captain, leader, legend.

You Reds.