Morgan Gibbs-White is one of Nottingham Forest’s most important players, and the English midfielder is on track to set a City Ground record.
Despite Chris Wood’s hat-trick, Shay Given praised Gibbs-White as the most impressive player in the Forest squad’s astonishing 7-0 victory over Brighton.
His nine Premier League goals this season have prompted Forest fans to demand that Gibbs-White be called up to the England side, with Nuno Espirito Santo relying on the former Wolves player to connect Forest’s stout defence with the prolific Wood.
Liverpool were connected with Gibbs-White due to his continuous importance at the City Ground, but for the time being, the midfield maestro will continue to excel under Espirito Santo, with Forest looking to grant Gibbs-White a new contract.
Gibbs-White also has an incentive to stay at Forest, given how close he is to breaking the club’s long-standing record.
Morgan Gibbs-White is getting close to breaking Nottingham Forest’s record for assists.
Gibbs-White has five Premier League assists this season, building on ten goals last season and eight in his debut season at the City Ground under Steve Cooper.
With 22 assists, Gibbs-White is now second in the all-time Premier League assist list and getting closer to making his own mark on Forest history.
After Stuart Pearce hailed Anthony Elanga’s three assists against Brighton, the football world became aware of Elanga’s creative qualities, but Gibbs-White’s are just as spectacular.
He didn’t get an assist in the Brighton game, but Gibbs-White did make six passes into the final third, demonstrating how he has accumulated so many assists at the City Ground.
Ian Woan holds the current record with 27 assists, having departed the club in 2000 after a decade at Forest. After signing for Forest in 2022, Gibbs-White surely did not envision breaking records at the club, but his previous coach Cooper always had faith in the 25-year-old due to a vital quality of his game.
Steve Cooper observed important Morgan Gibbs-White attributes in 2023.
Evangelos Marinakis could not have hoped for more from a signing than what he received from Gibbs-White after financing the move for Cooper, who led Gibbs-White to England youth triumph.
Cooper was clearly a fan of Gibbs-White, as the former Forest manager told Sky Sports about his plans to enhance the worth of his midfield star in 2023.
Before being fired by Forest, Cooper stated: “He [Gibbs-White] thrives on the responsibility that he bears. For a young guy, I believe that is a good trait because he will always be a player with a profile that can make a difference in games, and they must shoulder that burden.
“In the end, it’s about him getting the best out of himself – that’s always the most important thing.”
Gibbs-White has been named to Ben Foster’s team of the season for his achievements at the City Ground, with the creative responsibility that Espirito Santo has given him to continue the growth he started under Cooper at the heart of his outstanding performances.
Gibbs-White could easily provide the six additional assists required to surpass Woan in the Forest assists chart before the end of the season, ensuring he leaves a legacy at the club that his performances have earned since 2022.
