Champions League to non-league and South Korea… where Nottingham Forest’s team that started 2022/23 season are now
NOTTINGHAM FOREST ended their 23-year absence from top-flight football at the City Ground last season with a 1-0 victory over West Ham.
And on Saturday, 18 months later, David Moyes Hammers returns.
But the side the East Enders will face is unrecognisable from the one they lost out to on Forest’s homecoming.
For a start, Nuno Espirito Santo has replaced Steve Cooper in the home dugout.
Yet incredibly, of the 20 players Cooper stripped for action that day – only four have any chance of featuring this time.
Forest’s reserve goalkeeper in 2022 was Wayne Hennessey, who has now dropped to fourth choice behind Matz Sels, Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos.
That leaves goalscoring matchwinner Taiwo Awoniyi, full-backs Neco Williams and Harry Toffolo, and Moussa Niakhate as the four survivors who could feature again.
That means a staggering 15 players who were on duty to face the Hammers last time around are no longer with Forest.
Here SunSport reveals where they have all disappeared to.
DEAN HENDERSON (CRYSTAL PALACE)
Was the hero of the day, along with Awoniyi against West Ham, when he saved Declan Rice’s penalty.
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Signed on loan from Manchester United to make the deal permanent, fate saw Henderson suffer a season-ending thigh injury against Leicester City in January.
He returned to United who sold him to Palace for £20million in August.
JOE WORRALL (BESIKTAS)
Captained Forest on their return to the Prem but fell out of favour with Cooper towards the end of his time at the City Ground.
Failed to find a permanent place under Nuno and joined Turkish side Besiktas on loan earlier this month.
SCOTT McKENNA (FC COPENHAGEN)
Forest’s Player of the Year in their promotion-winning season, the Scotland defender missed large chunks of their first Premier season due to hamstring and collarbone injuries.
Fell out of Cooper’s plans this season. Joined FC Copenhagen on loan in January and played against Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.
OREL MANGALA (FC LYON)
The Belgian midfielder joined the Reds from Stuttgart in July 2022 and made 53 appearances for Forest.
But he was allowed to leave for Lyon on loan for the remainder of the season on deadline day, as Forest tried to balance the books for Profit and Sustainability purposes.
LEWIS O’BRIEN (MIDDLESBROUGH)
Joined the club with Harry Toffolo from Huddersfield after Forest had beaten them at Wembley in the Play-Off final.
Started last season but lost his place and was due to join Blackburn on loan, only to miss out because of the late submission of paperwork.
Moved on loan to MLS side DC United, now on loan at Boro.
JESSE LINGARD ( FC SEOUL)
Arrived to much fanfare and a bumper pay packet from Manchester United on a free transfer in July 2022.
But failed to score or provide an assist in his 17 league appearances and was released at the end of a disappointing debut season.
Has just signed a two-year deal with Korean K League club FC Seoul.
BRENNAN JOHNSON (TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR)
The homegrown hero started last season by signing a new four-year-deal for Forest and ended it by signing for Spurs in a £47.5million deal.
Forest were forced to cash in on their star forward to help ease PSR pressures amid threats of a points deduction.
GIULIAN BIANCONE (OLYMPIACOS)
The 23-year-old French right-back arrived from Ligue 1 club Troyes on a three-year contract but never started a Prem game.
Managed 12 minutes as a sub in a 6-0 thrashing at Manchester City and four minutes of a 0-0 draw with Brighton.
Flogged to Olympiacos for an undisclosed fee in September.
STEVE COOK (QPR)
The experienced centre-back helped Forest win promotion and played 14 games in all competitions on their return to the Prem.
Signed for QPR in August.
LOIC MBE SOH (ALMERE CITY)
The Cameroonian centre-back cost £4.5million from Paris Saint-Germain in September 2020 and made 13 appearances for Forest – none of them in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old spent much of last season on loan at Guingamp. Now on loan with Almere City in the Dutch Eredivisie.
SAM SURRIDGE (NASHVILLE SC)
Signed from Stoke City for £2.2million and scored seven goals in 20 appearances to help Forest win promotion.
Spent most of his time on the bench in the Prem, however, starting just one of his 20 league appearances.
Sold to MLS side Nashville for £5million in July.
ALEX MIGHTEN (PORT VALE)
USA-born but Nottingham-bred youngster who came through the club’s Academy.
Has made more than 50 appearances for the club but a brief seven-minute appearance against Newcastle United on their return to the top flight was his only taste of the Premier League.
The 21-year-old is currently on loan at Port Vale.
CAFU (ROTHERHAM UNITED)
The Portuguese midfielder joined Forest from their sister club Olympiacos in 2020 and helped them win promotion.
But he only managed six minutes of Premier League football, coming on for Orel Mangala in that game against West Ham.
Released at the end of last season and joined Rotherham.
LYLE TAYLOR (CAMBRIDGE UNITED)
Signed on a free transfer from Charlton Athletic in 2020 and scored eight goals in 33 appearances during Forest’s promotion season.
But the striker never played a minute in the Prem last season and was loaned out to Birmingham City and Wycombe before joining Cambridge.
OLIVER HAMMOND (OLDHAM ATHLETIC)
The Academy graduate was on the bench for the Hammers game but moved on loan to Cheltenham Town shortly afterwards.
Signed for National League Oldham last month.