If you had told Nottingham Forest fans at the end of the season that a seventh-place finish would ultimately be considered slightly disappointing, they would not have believed you.
The Tricky Trees were coming off the back of a season that saw them scrape Premier League survival by the skin of their teeth, and not many had hopes for anything more in the 24/25 campaign.
However, it turned into a season to remember, with **Nuno Espírito Santo**’s side spending over 60% of the campaign in the Champions League places and reaching their first **FA Cup**semi-final since 1991.
And despite the late fall off in form, which saw them drop into a Europa Conference League place, this season must be considered the East Midlands side's best since their successful European Cup campaign in 1980.
So, it is only right that the players who helped Forest achieve qualification for European football for the first time in three decades are celebrated. Below are the 2024/25 VAVEL Nottingham Forest end-of-season awards.
Choosing a standout player for Nottingham Forest in a season with numerous exceptional performers is a daunting task. Yet, the remarkable contributions of talismanic number 10, Morgan Gibbs-White, undeniably shine through.
Ever since his early days at **Wolves,**it was clear that the Stafford native was an extremely talented player. However, for a multitude of reasons, it never worked out for him in the first team at Molineux, and when, a couple of seasons ago, a newly promoted Forest picked him up, many wondered if he would ever be able to deliver on the promise he once showed.
Well, over the years, he has done that, but in the 24/25 **Premier League**season, he has reached new heights, firmly cementing his place as one of the league’s elite players.
His 17 goal contributions in 33 games have been vital in Forest’s surprise **Champions League**-chasing campaign. He has scored some crucial goals against Manchester United, West Ham, and Wolves.
But it's not just the raw numbers that make Gibbs-White so important; his work rate off the ball is unrivalled, and he has an intrinsic ability to improve those around him, often leading by example.
So, while many could lay claim to the crown, there’s no doubt that Morgan Gibbs-White is **Nottingham Forest**’s player of the year.
Yet another player, who, when he was younger, was considered a prodigy and a potential star for then-club, Manchester United. But he was cast aside by the Red Devils, much to the delight of the Forest faithful.
This was **Anthony Elanga**’s second season at the City Ground, and it could perhaps be considered the campaign in which the young **Sweden**international well and truly announced himself to the league.
The 23-year-old has become crucial to **Nuno Espírito Santo**’s system, with his pace and dribbling ability key to Forest’s counter-attacking style. This is evidenced by the fact that only two players have more assists this season than Elanga, who has an impressive 11.
He’s also formed a dangerous partnership with towering striker Chris Wood. The towering striker often creates space for the winger, which he has become adept at exploiting.
He had memorable performances against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton, assisting on three separate occasions in one game against the latter.
No longer is Elanga defined by his unremarkable stint in Manchester; instead, he is lauded as one of the heroes who brought Forest back to the big time and will look to build upon an incredible season.
When highly rated centre back Nikola Milenković left Fiorentina last summer to join a Nottingham Forest side who had narrowly avoided relegation, eyebrows were raised, particularly given that the Tricky Tress acquired his services for the low fee of 12 million.
Despite doubts about the move, Milenković has thrived at the City Ground and has quickly shown himself to be one of the **Premier League**’s best centre-backs.
His fellow centre half, Murillo, with whom he has formed an outstanding partnership, garners many of the headlines for his all-action style, but the 27-year-old Serbian has been the glue that has made Forest’s defence so strong throughout the entirety of the campaign.
He has been at the heart of Forest’s 13 clean sheets in the league, consistently organising the defence and leading by example, through towering defensive headers and awe-inspiring challenges. Not to mention, he has also popped up with five goals this season as well.
Without a doubt, Milenković should be viewed as one of the biggest bargains in Premier League history, and the Forest faithful should be hoping they can keep him a little while longer yet.
This was **Neco Williams**’ third season with Forest, and while it has always been clear that the Welshman is a gifted player, he has never been able to consistently secure a place at the City Ground.
Whether that be through injury or not quite suiting former manager **Steve Cooper**’s more pragmatic approach, there is doubt that he fits into **Nuno Espírito Santo**’s system like a hand in a glove.
The Portuguese coach likes his full-backs to be active in the final third of the pitch and often looks to them to start attacks, and Williams has flourished this campaign under these guidelines.
He has marauded forward all season and provided three assists for his teammates, developing tremendous relationships with Forest’s forward players.
It is not just his offensive abilities that have shone through; his defensive skills and understanding have improved by leaps and bounds, with his one-on-one defending becoming a key asset to stopping the opposition’s counterattacks.
Williams has been a picture of consistency throughout the Premier League season and has been a crucial cog in the Forest machine.
Forest have had a wide array of goalkeepers throughout its three years back in the Premier League; at times, it has bordered on comical.
When Belgian shot-stopper Matz Sels was signed in the January 2024 transfer window, it was thought he would be yet another keeper to add to the list. However, he has been anything but just another name.
The 33-year-old has arguably been Forest’s most important player on route to continental football.
He has made an incredible 120 saves this season, the fourth most in the league. His best performance of the season came in a game against **Liverpool**at the City Ground. The game finished 1-1, but had it not been for Sels pulling out several incredible saves, it would have been an emphatic loss for the Tricky Trees.
A particular standout save came against **Brighton**as **Danny Welbeck**’s long-range effort looked destined for the top corner, but Sels got a fingertip on to it and managed to flick it on onto the crossbar and keep it out.
He shares the honour of the Golden Glove with **Arsenal**goalkeeper David Raya, amassing 13 clean sheets throughout the campaign, something that would have seemed far-fetched at the beginning of the season.
When **Nuno Espírito Santo**’s side lost 5-0 to **Bournemouth**in late January, many believed that it was the start of Forest’s descent out of contention for European football and a return to the status quo, and with a tricky visit from **Brighton**next, it seemed that may well be the case.
Instead, the East Midlands side silenced doubters and critics alike with a resounding and stunning 7-0 dismantling of the Seagulls.
It was a game that will likely be remembered for Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood’s stunning performances. The former provided a hat-trick of assists, and the latter grabbed three goals.
There were also goals for Morgan Gibbs-White, Jota Silva, and Neco Williams, as well as an own goal from **Brighton**captain Lewis Dunk.
The dominant display summed up Espírito Santo’s team from a tactical and mental perspective. Tactically, they nailed their game plan, having only 35% possession of the ball, but frequently catching the Seagulls on the break, utilising their strength on the flanks. Mentally, many teams would have been reeling from the previous week’s defeat, but not this Forest side; they dusted themselves off and responded emphatically.
A display which encapsulates Forest’s season.