Steve Cooper backs Brennan Johnson to fire Nottingham Forest out of the bottom three

Steve Cooper supports Brennan Johnson in bringing Nottingham Forest to safety.

The Wales international was a shining light in what has been a difficult season for Forest on their return to the Premier League.

His pace on the counter-attack has been vital to their style of play and his eight goals make him the top scorer.

Forest need their homegrown signing to keep firing into the final stages of the campaign as they have slipped back to the bottom three after nine games without a win.

That will have to start with Sunday’s visit to Manchester United and Cooper hopes he can flourish.

Steve Cooper praised Johnson’s commitment to improving to help the club’s chances of survival

“Imagine where we’d be without him,” Cooper said. “I love working with Brennan, I can see how hungry he is to get it right.

“I know how important the club is to him and his family. I think it’s great to see a young player who wants to learn and get better and not only do the things on the training pitch and match days, but also the things around it – the holistic approach to being a top athlete.

“I loved working with him, like all the guys.

But Brennan, I really enjoy working with him because he is so committed to getting the best out of himself and doing well for this club that he absolutely loves.

“He will definitely play on Sunday and we will try to work in a way that he can flourish because that’s what it gives us.”

Given their run of games, with United, Liverpool, Brighton and Chelsea all yet to play, Forest look like a good bet to retire at this stage, which will no doubt raise questions about Johnson’s future.

But Cooper, whose own position is still under scrutiny, doesn’t want to contemplate the possibility of him being sold.

“I don’t want to say that now – that’s before the end of the season,” he said. “What I do know is that he is super talented.

“Brennan is really humble, hardworking and caring.”

Forest against Manchester United is a match synonymous with the glory days of the club under Brian Clough.

Cooper played down suggestions that Johnson could be sold by Nottingham Forest in the summer

Forest are currently in the bottom three and face a tough run into the Premier League season

That history has weighed heavily on some previous City Ground managers, but Cooper has embraced it and even has a picture of Clough in his office.

And he says the current crop of Forest players should draw inspiration from those who went before.

“The history of the club is an inspiration to everyone, I think, because that’s what makes us who we are.

“We’ve done some decent things in the last 18 months, but we’re so determined to try and keep that up.”