Ribeiro is ready for new challenge away from Forest

YURI Ribeiro says he needs “other challenges” as his Nottingham Forest contract winds down.

The Portuguese left-back is set to leave the Reds after a two-season stay following his move from Benfica.

Ribeiro is popular with fans and, while he praised supporters, he says he will be happy to return home after a difficult year dealing with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“(My contract) will end in a month and a half and I will not continue, I think. I need other challenges,” he said in an interview translated from Portuguese outlet TVI24.

“I feel that Forest can return to the Premier League. It has conditions for that, but there are things to fix.

“We are talking about a club that has won the European Cup

twice and that is able to be in the Premier League, if you fix some things. There are some supporters who are among the best in England.

“We even had four thousand fans behind us, in stadiums of other clubs, in games on Wednesday. Nottingham is a welcoming city.

“There are athletes who prefer to play, for example, at Fulham because it is in London. I enjoyed being in Nottingham.

“Forest fans are very demanding and make that feel to the players. When I went to sign, I remember having the weight of the two European trophies on my back.

“If a club is historic, like this one, it has to carry that weight on to the field. It’s hard to have Forest back in the Champions League, but it’s still a big club.

“I miss home, mainly because we are going through this pandemic. This was the year that had the most players returning to Portugal. It is a determining aspect.

“I will be happy to return to Portugal, but I feel that I can do different things abroad. I am prepared for everything and welcome good invitations.”

The 23-year-old played 57 times for Forest, scoring once. He is one of seven out-of-contract players, along with Samba Sow, Abdoulaye Diallo, Michael Hefele, Michael Dawson, Sammy Ameobi and Glenn Murray.