Nottingham Forest survival hero Renan Lodi has reflected on just how tough he found adapting to life in the Premier League.
The left-back spent the 2022/23 season on loan with the Reds from Atletico Madrid and played a key role as they avoided an immediate return to the Championship. Lodi has admitted he found the early days of his Trentside spell a challenge but he soon “exploded” into form and became a regular starter in the Garibaldi.
Doing so meant he proved some of his doubters wrong. And the Brazilian, who now plays for Saudi Arabia side Al Hilal, was delighted to play his part in the journey which sees Forest challenging for the Champions League places two years later.
Discussing his switch to the City Ground in a video posted on his Instagram account, Lodi said: "So then came a new chapter in my life, in England. Leaving Atletico Madrid was more of a personal decision.
“It was also an extremely difficult adaptation because the sun never came out there! It was cloudy all the time and by 3pm it was already very dark. Rafaela (his partner) was with me there too and she was pregnant.
"But since it was a decision I made, I felt more at peace - even though the adaptation was tough. I was more grounded, telling myself: 'No, I'm going to play in the Premier League. I'm going to be calmer about it.'
Get breaking Forest news sent direct to your phone
Join our Nottingham Forest WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from the NottinghamshireLive Reds writers.
We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Reds stories. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can click here to read our Privacy Notice.
"In the first month, it was very difficult to play because of the adaptation. The Premier League is a very challenging league. Out of 33 games, I played 31, so I wasn't just there for sightseeing. I played.
"I have a lot of affection for Nottingham. Rafaela loves the city and after a while, I grew to love it too.
"I also accepted the challenge because the club had just been promoted to the Premier League after 20 years, and the challenge was to help keep Nottingham in the top division. So I went there with that goal in mind - to play, to prove my worth.
"I also remember some people at Atletico Madrid telling me: 'Don't go, stay here. Even if you're not playing, stay here. It's too hard over there, you won't be able to play. The team just got promoted.'
"And yes, they did have this project to keep the team in the first division. We got there and I embraced this new challenge.
"I started off slowly. But as I got more adapted, I exploded there too. Out of 33 games, I played 31.
"I managed to play in the Premier League and we achieved the club's goal of staying in the top division. It wasn't a case of going up and down, up and down. And this year, I think it's the third year with Nottingham in the first division. Everything changed, you know?”
Would you like Lodi to have stayed at Forest? Click HERE to have your say