Lolley credits non-league grounding as key to rapid rise to become key man

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Joe Lolley has become one of Nottingham Forest’s key players this season with eight goals and 11 assists to his name this season.

If Forest fail to get promoted to the Premier League, there is the chance that form will attract transfer bids from the top flight, but Lolley has come through the ranks rapidly from university football and has admitted he doesn’t have that ruthless ambition to clamber up the ladder at every given opportunity.

He said to i: “When I got scouted by Kidderminster at uni I thought if I could have a year playing professional football, it was still a year more than I could ever thought I’d get.

“That attitude helps me because I don’t put too much pressure on myself. I don’t think I’m as ambitious within football as others, but that’s because I care about other things in life. If I retire tomorrow, I’ll already have achieved more than I could ever thought. How could I not be happy?”

The entire interview paints Lolley as an exceptionally grounded person, who has other interests outside of football, and that is exactly the kind of player Forest fans should want at their club.

He seems happy and settled at the City Ground and that could well count in Forest’s favour when it comes to trying to keep a player who has been a revelation this season.

Lolley has made it clear he isn’t one of those players who is always on the lookout for something better or a new paycheque. Forest need to build around him if they can.