Joe Worrall, the captain of Premier League club Nottingham Forest, has extended his contract with the club until mid-2026. For the defender, it marks the culmination of an emotional period during which his uncle tragically passed away in an accident.
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Worrall still found the strength to support his team in the away game against Chelsea, which Steve Cooper's team impressively won 0-1. 'You have to keep going. The past few days have been terrible, but we've stayed together as a family.
Thinking about him and his life is something I do at home, but because he was a policeman, his passing is receiving a lot of attention, which is strange,' he said to talkSPORT.
Manager Cooper praised his captain after the Chelsea match. 'He has done incredibly well. I knew about it before it became public, and he sacrificed himself for the club. It was an outlet for him. I don't have the words to describe his performances this week. This victory will give him and his family a good feeling for a while, even though nothing can make what happened any better.'
The English press was also impressed by Worrall's resilience. 'If he wasn't blocking a shot, he was heading the ball away. It's tough enough to play Premier League football against one of the better teams in the country, but it's a lot to ask to do it after a family tragedy. Worrall handled it magnificently,' BBC analyst Garth Crooks noted.
Now, Worrall, who came through the youth academy and wore the red shirt of the first team 220 times, has extended his contract. 'Look to the future; it looks promising. Everyone knows how much we're trying to improve. The owner has shown he wants to build a family and a real identity, not just in the club but also in the league and on the world stage. We want to become a powerhouse again,' said the captain.
Updated: 04:35, 8 Sep 2023
