For Football fans who've only seen Nottingham Forest in the Premier League recently, they would just be an average side that tries to escape from relegation. However, there was a time when Nottingham were a top side that could win major domestic titles. This article will be looking at a player who was pivotal in helping them win a few major titles. Let us look back at Des Walker's time at Nottingham Forest.
Promising early years
A young Des Walker was signed by Nottingham in 1980 after spotting him play in London. An interesting fact about the player was that he previously belonged to Tottenham's youth academy, but his refusal to get a haircut on the order of their manager Bill Nicholson resulted in his release.
Brian Clough was Forest's manager at the time, who was known for giving opportunities to youth players. Walker eventually made his debut in March 1984, at the age of 18. Forest finished that season in third position, and hence qualified for the UEFA Cup.
This was also the beginning of Walker's Rise at Nottingham, as he went on to win the club's player of the year award within 3 years in 1987.
The silverware period
Just a year later after winning his first major individual award with Forrest, Walker and his teammates won the Football League Centenary Tournament in April 1988. It was a historic win for the side, as it was their first senior trophy win since 1981. They finished the league third place yet again that year, and were also able to. reach till the FA Cup semi-finals.
The year of 1989 was quite special for Walker and Forest, as they won both the Full Members Cup and the League Cup. Nottingham had beaten Everton to achieve their Full Members Cup triumph, while Luton Town were their final victims in the League Cup final.
It was during this period that Forest were on course of achieving a unique Cup treble, but an unfortunate incident overshadowed everything a week later. Forest were scheduled to face Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-finals, but it was during this time that the infamous Hillsborough disaster occured. The heartbreaking incident took away the lives of 97 Liverpool fans.
This led to the semi-final being rescheduled, which saw Forest get beaten 3-1 by Liverpool. They also finished yet another league campaign in third position. To make things worse, the ban of English clubs due to the Heysel Stadium disaster meant that Forest couldn't take part in the UEFA Cup. Despite the team's horrendous fortunes, Walker was named in the PFA Team of the Year for his notable individual heroics.
Silverware success followed Walker and Forest again in 1990, as the player won his League Cup winner's medal when Forest retained the trophy in 1990 with a victory over Oldham Athletic. The former Centre-back finished the campaign as their Player of the Year, and was yet again named in the PFA Team of the Year.
Remaining years
Even though English clubs were eventually allowed back into European competitions, places were still limited to qualify. This meant that Walker still hadn't been able to prove his credentials in the European stage by now, despite turning 25 and being one of the best defenders at the time. It was during this period as well that Walker scored an own goal in the 1991 FA Cup Final which ended with Forest losing 2–1 to Tottenham Hotspur. Despite these shortcomings, his contributions throughout the season saw him earn a third successive selection for the PFA Team of the Year.
Walker went on to yet another Full Members Cup with Forest after beating Southampton 3-2, but ended up suffering defeat against Manchester United in the League Cup final.
He eventually left the club in 1992, after a memorable 8 years of service as one of the finest to have played for the club.
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