Hucknall football hero Joe Worrall praised for heroic display in Forest win at Chelsea after tragic death of uncle
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Worrall was playing just days after the death of his uncle, Sergeant Graham Saville, a Nottinghamshire Police officer who died last week after being hit by a train while helping a distressed man on the tracks at Newark.
Tributes have poured in from the police and public for Sgt Saville, with colleagues at Nottinghamshire Police calling him ‘a wonderful person and an amazing police officer’.
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Hide AdIt emerged in the following days that he was related to Forest skipper Worrall who, like the rest of his family, had been left devasted byt the loss of a loved one.
But, inspired no doubt by the memory of an uncle Worrall called ‘a hero’, the Hucknall man was to the fore again at Chelsea at the weekend with a maginficent performance at the heart of the Forest defence as Steve Cooper’s men recorded their first league win at Stamford Bridge since 1995.
Speaking to the BBC’s Match of the Day, Forest manager Steve Cooper paid tribute to Worrall.
He said: “We’re really proud of him and it’s Joe’s story to tell more than me, but what I do know is he’s represented his family and himself incredibly well.
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Hide Ad"Before the news broke, I knew what was going on and I think football has helped him, I think the club has helped him, but I think the way in which he has treated the situation and put himself second behind his family and put the football club first in terms of his performance, that has helped him.
"He got a round of applause in the dressing room afterwards and there’s a lot of respect for him and the win was definitely for him and his family – we’re so proud of him.”
On the Forest Facebook page, fans also paid tribute to Worrall.
One said: “Joe was a warrior today.”
Another posted: “Brilliant. One of our own.”
Another said: “Well done Joe you did us, the club and yourself proud.”
One put: “Has to be his greatest game in a Forest shirt, he won everything.”
And another comment simply said: “What a man, what a leader.”