Martin O’Neill has been appointed Nottingham Forest’s new manager, the Championship club have confirmed.
O’Neill returns to The City Ground 38 years after ending a decade-long spell as a Forest player, during which time he won eight trophies under Brian Clough, including two European Cups.
The Northern Irishman succeeds Aitor Karanka in the position four days after the Spaniard left Nottingham Forest by mutual consent.
O’Neill becomes the club’s 11th full-time boss since 2011 and his first game in charge is against fellow Championship play-off hopefuls Bristol City on Saturday.
The 52-year-old made 371 appearances for Forest during his playing career, joining from Distillery in 1971 and leaving 10 years later.
He helped the club win a First Division title, two European Cups and two League Cups, as well as the Charity Shield, the European Super Cup and the Anglo-Scottish Cup.
O’Neill also spent time with Norwich, Manchester City and Notts County after leaving Forest, before taking his first steps into management with Grantham Town.
His coaching career, which has now passed the 30-year mark, has taken in spells at Wycombe, Norwich, Leicester, Celtic, Aston Villa and Sunderland. His most recent job was a five-year stay as the Republic of Ireland’s manager, which ended in November after the Boys in Green were relegated to the UEFA Nations League Group C for the 2020/21 campaign.
It has been reported Forest are in talks with Roy Keane over joining as O’Neill’s assistant after the pair worked together in the Ireland set-up.
