The £8.5m star against Sunderland could shine under Nuno at Nottingham Forest this season

Shortly after Derby beat Stockport 1-0, Forest took on Sunderland in the Friday night sun.

It proved a very useful run for both teams and the 1-1 draw was quite entertaining at times.

The Reds again handed minutes to a number of players during the 90-minute clash and Nuno Espirito Santo may have something to think about one player.

The Nottingham Forest man could shine under Nuno next season

This was a big moment for Forest player Omar Richards as he appeared in Garibaldi for the first time.

The defender signed for the club from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022 and endured quite an ordeal.

Richards suffered a fractured tibia shortly after arriving and was then forced to have hernia surgery that same season.

Last season he was sent out on loan to Olympiacos and helped the Greek side to glory in the UEFA Conference League.

Now he’s back at Forest and there’s a real chance he’ll make up for lost time.

Espirito Santo have given a clean sheet to a number of players from Spain. Josh Bowler, Lewis O’Brien and Emmanuel Dennis are all currently with the squad.

However, it was Richards who caught the eye on Friday, with the left-back scoring a fine goal in the tie.

Forest fell behind at half-time to Jack Clarke’s penalty but roared back immediately after the break.

Richards went on a mazy run before firing into the Sunderland net with emphatic force to restore parity.

Despite a friendly clash, relief is etched all over Richards’ face and he now has a real chance to start.

The back left seat is up for grabs at Forest

Richards will feel he has a real chance to fill Nuno’s squad at left-back next season.

Ola Aina was the main holder of the shirt last season and as good as he was, he is not a natural left-back.

He could play at right-back instead and that could pave the way for Richards to break into the team.

Harry Toffolo is also at the club and is likely to be considered a back-up option in Espirito Santo’s eyes for next season.

Richards is naturally a left-back and will be desperate to keep playing for the side who parted with £8.5m for his services.

He could bring some balance to the defensive unit and his goal against Sunderland showed that he clearly likes to get forward.

It’s hard not to feel some sympathy for Richards and his injury woes at Forest.

He’s clearly been working hard, though, and hopefully he can enjoy a number of games in the Forest team this season if he gets the nod.

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