Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Forrest – It is exciting times at Dundee Utd
ASSISTANT boss Gordon For rest says it was a “no-bra i ner” for the Dundee United coaching team to extend their stay at Tannadice last week as they bid to realise the club’s dreams of top-flight football.
Having played for Livingston, East Fife and Berwick Rangers, Forrest’s coaching career has seen him work for the SFA, head to the Olympics with New Zealand and work in the American MLS.
Now, though, the 42-year-old’s sole focus is to do all he can to put all of that worldly coaching experience to United’s use as he bids to help the club finally get out of the Championship.
Forrest, along with boss Robbie Neilson and fellow-assistant coach Lee McCulloch, signed a new contract extension to the summer of 2022.
He told the Tele: “It was a no-brainer.
“When I first came to the club, the vision presented to me from (sporting director) Tony Asghar, where they want to go and what they want to achieve, was fantastic and it’s great to continue to be part of that.
“The contracts also bring a bit of stability to the club.
“Unfortunately we missed out on promotion last year but we’ve had a good pre-season and a decent start to the campaign being top.
“We are pushing for our goals this season and it’s great to be involved in such a great club.
“You can feel it is a positive place. “You can see the improvements step by step and stage by stage that Tony is doing along with the rest of the staff at the club, around the training ground and on the pitch through the player pathway and the recruitment.
“You can see what the club is trying to achieve.
“We have had real backing from the fans and there is real excitement at games which helps the players home and away.”
A big part of the management team’s mandate is to provide the platform for young players to come into the first-team set-up from the academy at Tannadice and flourish.
Already this season, fans have seen players like Louis Appere, Chris Mochrie, Ross Graham, Logan