Morgan Gibbs-White may never fulfil his dream of representing England at the World Cup but if he helps Nottingham Forest survive this season he should be proud of it for the rest of his life.
Ever since he was part of the England Under-17 team who won the World Cup at age-group level in 2017, Gibbs-White has burned to do the same with the senior side.
Now he faces an uphill battle. Left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for this month’s friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, Gibbs-White is probably relying on injuries in his position to make the final squad – and Daily Mail Sport understands Tuchel has never been fully convinced by his qualities.
When the next tournament comes around, he will have passed 30 and the competition for the No10 spot is always fierce.
‘He deserves the national team but it’s not my decision,’ said Forest boss Vitor Pereira. ‘I respect the decision but he has the quality and the character to be there. He is a fantastic player.
‘He is a little bit sad and disappointed in this moment but these are the moments in our lives when we need to be stronger and come back to the fight.’
Morgan Gibbs-White may not go to the World Cup with England but should be proud if he can help keep Nottingham Forest in the Premier League
If he was sulking about being left out, Gibbs-White did not show it. He scored Forest’s second goal in the vital 3-0 win at Tottenham on Sunday and when he was substituted with the game won, Gibbs-White beamed as he high-fived several members of Pereira’s backroom staff.
‘I am just doing my best to help this team,’ said Gibbs-White. ‘I have shown that since the first day of coming here. It’s not been plain sailing. But we all stick together – the manager, the owner, the fans and the players.’
Gibbs-White is capable of brilliant technical performances. This was not one of those, but it was mature and courageous. He barked orders in the pre-match huddle and encouraged team-mates throughout. When there was defending to be done, Gibbs-White did it. The second goal was a scruffy finish but he was in just the spot required to convert.
Something always seems to be happening where Gibbs-White is concerned. For better or worse, Forest’s playmaker struggles to stay out of the spotlight.
Through no fault of Gibbs-White’s, he was involved in one of the transfer sagas of the summer. Spurs thought they had activated a £60million release clause in his contract – but Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis had other ideas. Instead of moving to north London and the Champions League, Gibbs-White was soon signing a new three-year contract that made him the highest-paid player in Forest’s history.
The previous spring, he had looked nailed on for a move to Manchester City only for Pep Guardiola’s side to go cold on the price tag and bring in Rayan Cherki instead.
On the pitch, Gibbs-White is an open book. In certain moments, he can look like a frustrated child who has not been granted his own way. When his passes are wasted, muttering and arm-waving often follow.
Three managers have come and gone at the City Ground this season. Like many of his team-mates, it is thought Gibbs-White was not entirely convinced by Sean Dyche’s methods.
He still scored seven times under Dyche, though, and now has 11 for the season, with nine in the Premier League. Not bad for an attacking midfielder in a side who have scored only 31 league goals.
Even if Forest stay up, there will be interest in Gibbs-White. Perhaps the grass is not always greener, though. Gibbs-White needs to be loved and he is at Forest. He might win more trophies elsewhere, but it is unlikely he would become a legend. If he stays at Forest, he might just achieve it.
Forest kicked on after scoring first against Totteham via Igor Jesus, hitting their stride
Score first, win the game
Without Chris Wood for most of the season, it is little surprise Forest have lacked bite in front of goal. Yet when they do edge ahead, they tend to make it count.
Forest have opened the scoring eight times in the league this season, winning six of those games and drawing the other two.
In the first-half at Tottenham, Vitor Pereira’s men rode their luck but when Igor Jesus gave them the lead in the closing stages of the opening period, confidence flowed. Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi struck after the break to crown a much more controlled display than in the opening 45 minutes.
The better news for Forest is that Wood is on his way back. As first revealed by Daily Mail Sport, the 34-year-old played 45 minutes for the Forest B team on March 20 and was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to see them win.
As long as there are no setbacks during the forthcoming international break, Wood should be available for the Europa League quarter-final meeting with FC Porto on April 8. Forest meet Aston Villa in the Premier League three days later.
What a difference four days make
Forest have been so worried for so long about relegation that most supporters backed Pereira’s decision to make nine changes for the Europa League meeting with FC Midtjylland. Many would have been happy to exit the competition.
Instead, Forest beat the Danish side on penalties and then won again at Spurs. From fearing they would head into the international break in the bottom three, suddenly Pereira’s men are three points above the line.
This win alone will not be sufficient to keep them up yet it should convince these players they can handle the pressure. It should lift Forest’s anxious supporters, too. Both they and the squad will now travel to Porto next month with far lighter hearts.
