Steve Hodge has marked Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper after he fetched up two years in charge of the club. The 43-year-old waltzed into the club in September 2021 and has already achieved the unthinkable.

The head coach has been inspired on and off the field. He has bought into the ethos of the football club and has embraced the history and expectation rather than been overawed by it.

Cooper has taken Forest back to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years. Not only that but last season he kept the club there against the odds; securing survival on the penultimate day of the season.

Hodge is a huge fan of Cooper. He has been asked to give his verdict on the head coach following his anniversary and he’s marked him out of 10 for his efforts so far.

He told the Shut Up and Show More Football podcast: “I never doubted at some point someone would hit this club at the right time and it’d click.

“He’s been able to bring a lot of different players together. His first game was at Millwall. That was okay but it’s been measured slow progression.

“I can’t applaud him highly enough. I can’t praise him highly enough and I can’t praise the owner highly enough. Steve Cooper, two years on, it’s 10/10 for me.”

Hodge delivers verdict on Forest head coach Cooper

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone at the moment who doesn’t give Cooper 10/10. He’s revived the entire football club and he just gets what Forest is all about.

The 43-year-old has done brilliant things at the City Ground. He continues to oversee steady improvement. With that in mind, hopefully, the Reds can really kick on this season.

Hodge is on the money with these comments. The Forest-supporting pundit is a fan favourite on Radio Nottingham. Indeed, it’s always fascinating to hear his goal celebrations live on air!

Cooper should be getting the Freedom of Nottingham for his work with Forest. The challenge for the head coach now is to ensure that the next two years are just as successful as the last two.