Nottingham Forest academy graduate Ryan Yates made his league debut for the Reds in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Brentford.

The 21-year-0ld became the latest in a long line of young players to make the step up to the first-team.

(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

A lot of the credit for the healthy state which Forest’s academy is in goes to Gary Brazil.

The academy director is a master of his trade.

Since taking up the role of 2014, several players have risen through the ranks and graced the first-team with their presence.

Ben Osborn, Matty Cash, Oliver Burke, Ben Brereton and now Yates are just a few who have taken the rise through the ranks in their stride.

Central midfielder Yates almost departed the club on loan during the summer.

After waiting patiently, however, he was rewarded with a chance to impress on Saturday.

The man who spent time on loan at Notts County and Scunthorpe last season didn’t disappoint.

An energetic performance saw him look composed in possession and strong in the tackle, as supporters oozed over his performance.

 

Yates showed maturity way beyond his tender years and he must be very hopeful of receiving more opportunities between now and May.

Following Saturday’s game, Brazil took to Twitter to speak of his pride at Yates’ impressive showing, tweeting:

The trusted mentor of the club’s academy prospects is seen as something of a cult hero at the City Ground and fans were quick to react to his tweet…