Ange Postecoglou has revealed how he met Forest boss Steve Cooper by chance on holiday – and spoke about how his opposite number tonight has made ‘an undeniable impact’ at the City Ground.

Forest were bottom of the Championship when Cooper took over in September, 2021. Incredibly, he lifted them up to the play-offs and then beat Huddersfield in the final at Wembley to take this famous club back into the Premier League for the first time since 1999.

It wasn’t long after that magnificent achievement in May, 2022, that Ange, then boss at Celtic, met Cooper on his summer break in Athens.

Asked about Cooper in his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Ange said: “I really like Coops. A couple of summers ago, the year they got promoted, we actually stayed at the same hotel in Athens, he with his family and me with mine. Just by coincidence we were there. I spent a bit of time with him and have a lot of time for him. Even before I met him, he was so well regarded and respected within the coaching fraternity.

“It can’t be dismissed what an achievement it was for him to get Forest into the Premier League and keep them up. All of us want to make impact at football clubs, he’s made an undeniable impact. He is a top manager and I’m sure he will work his way through this one as well.”