Ex-Town skipper's son signs for Forest

Eight-year-old Niall Towle, of Long Hill Rise, Hucknall, will be unveiled by Forest at half-time during their Coca-Cola Championship game with Coventry City at the City Ground on Saturday (April 18).

And Niall, whose father is ex-Yellows midfielder/full-back Phil Towle, delighted his Forest-supporting family by plumping for The Reds over their bitter rivals Derby County.

The Hucknall National Primary School youngster has been training with both Forest's and Derby's academies since September. But after a lot of thought, he accepted the offer from the City Ground.

Niall has already played about a dozen games for Forest's under-nines and has scored a hatful of goals while forming a useful partnership with the son of former Forest and Ipswich Town star David Johnson.

Dad Phil said: "He decided on his local side and I think he is a closet Forest fan when he isn't following Manchester United! He is taking it all in his stride. Niall is a good player and he just keeps banging in the goals.

"He has done amazingly well to get into Forest's final 12 because the lads have come from all over the place, not just the Nottingham area.

"Hopefully he will just keep on proving himself. But you never know. He is thinking it is all good at the moment but there are bound to be a lot of distractions in the future."

Niall kept quiet about the fact that he was being courted by both Forest and Derby. Only his family, best friend and members of his football team at Hucknall Sports, where he has played since the age of four, knew anything about it.

Phil, who played for The Yellows in the 1980s and early 1990s, added: "He isn't bothered. He just gets on with it! He hadn't told anyone at his school.

"However I would like to thank his manager at Hucknall Sports, Andrew Hallam, for all he has done for Niall."

Niall's mum, Rachel, added: "I think he deserves some recognition for all of his effort and hard work because his training schedule has been intense.

"He has been training and playing for both academies, as well as training and playing for Hucknall Sports."