31-year-old left-footer unfancied by Steve Cooper dazzles after Nottingham Forest exit

Joe Lolley was deemed surplus to requirements shortly after Nottingham Forest won promotion in 2022. He headed to Sydney FC and now he’s starting to do the business.

The 31-year-old was extremely popular at the City Ground. He spent five successful years at the football club and at times during that period he was one of the best players in the EFL.

Lolley started the pre-season campaign ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. After a friendly defeat to Coventry, however, Steve Cooper decided that his future would be better served elsewhere.

Injuries had robbed Lolley of a regular starting berth in the campaign that saw the Reds promoted. He was an unused substitute in the final but did play an instrumental part in Forest making it 2-0 against Sheffield United in the first leg of the play-off semi-final.

Lolley starring for Sydney FC after Forest exit

The player was expected to receive plenty of EFL offers in the summer of 2022. It’s thought that he did get a couple but a move to Australia naturally proved attractive to the winger.

Last season, he dominated the A-League and established himself as one of the top players in the competition. He became a fan favorite with Sydney FC after scoring six goals and assisting six others.

He’s now resumed where he left off. Lolley has already scored once and provided five assists this season, netting his first goal of the season in a 2-1 win over Melbourne City in the Australia Cup semi-final on Sunday.

Lolley still capable and he’s not sulked

The player’s career path is an intriguing one. He was spotted playing football for his university and completed his studies before making the grade as a professional.

Now, he’s doing well in Australia and Forest fans will be happy for Lolley. He was always popular on Trentside among the fan base and registered 53 goal contributions during 171 appearances.

It would have been easy for Lolley to feel a little bit disappointed to not get a crack at the Premier League. Instead, he’s embraced his move to Australia and is currently on fire with his current club.