Cotterill lauds forgotten man Reid

Andy Reid, Irish football’s forgotten man, could still cut it in the Premier League.

That’s according to Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cotterill, who has hailed Reid’s man-of-the-match performance in a 3-1 defeat of relegation rivals Millwall in the Championship at the City Ground on Saturday.

The midfielder, who never regained his place for Ireland after a falling-out with Giovanni Trapattoni in 2008, made two goals and scored a spectacular 20-yarder to help move Forest five points clear of the drop zone ahead of tonight’s trip to Pride Park to face struggling Derby County.

Hailing the Dubliner’s display as “magnificent“, Cotterill said: “A really fit Andy Reid should still be playing in the Premier League. He has Premier League ability, without question. He is a great lad as well.”

And the manager felt his decision to rest Reid for the previous game against Doncaster had been vindicated by the player’s outstanding performance against Millwall.

“That is what happens when you can rest a player, he was fresher than the other boys,” said Cotterill. “At the moment, we need him to play. But when you have Saturday/Tuesday/Saturday/Tuesday runs of games, you can’t do it. I love Reidy and Reidy knows that I want him to be fitter.”

After Saturday’s game, Reid went straight to the hospital bedside of his three-week old son Oscar, who has been suffering from breathing difficulties. Said his 29-year-old dad: “It’s been a tough week so it was nice to be able to put in a performance for him and get a goal for him. Some things are more important than football. It puts things in perspective but it helps to be able to get on the pitch and clear your mind a bit.”