O’Neill may call Worrall back to Nottingham

involved in the second half of the 2018/19 campaign.

The 22-year-old has done well for Steven Gerrard’s team since moving to Glasgow in the summer.

He started in four of the Ibrox club’s Europa League group games and also helped them keep a clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Celtic before the winter shutdown.

But Birtles said: “Joe going out on loan was a strange one. A lot of people were puzzled about him being allowed to go up to Scotland.

“I am not surprised he has done so well. There’s a possibility he could be brought back down.

“We have got big injury problems in that position at the moment. I am sure Martin will look at the bigger picture.

“Joe was one of a few good young players who came through the youth ranks at Forest. I am sure he is one who Martin will look at very closely.”

Meanwhile, Birtles, who played alongside O’Neill as Forest won retained the European Cup in 1980, has backed the former Parkhead manager to succeed where former Rangers boss Mark Warburton failed due to the off-field stability at Forest.

Warburton only lasted nine months at the City Ground after leaving Scotland.

But Birtles said: “I think Mark Warburton was possibly a victim of what was happening off the field.

“Under Fawaz [Kuwaiti businessman Al-Hasawi] everything went downhill. There was a lot of hope when he first came in because of the wealth in the family. It got pretty shambolic at the end.

“Mark was a decent guy. But sometimes decent guys don’t always succeed.”