Nottingham Forest forward Jota Silva has suggested he is ready to return to the City Ground and fight for his place under Vítor Pereira, after a difficult loan spell at Besiktas.
The 26-year-old spent much of last summer trying to secure a move away from Forest in search of regular playing time.
That eventually led to the remarkable deadline-day saga with Sporting, when a transfer collapsed after registration paperwork reportedly missed the cut-off by a single minute.
Jota Silva ultimately joined Besiktas on loan, but things did not go as planned in Istambul.
Not a dream spell in Turkey
Speaking to Record, the Portuguese attacker admitted the season fell below expectations.
“I can say it was a season of learning. I went to a big club and, collectively, I believe we could have done more.”
Jota Silva pointed to wider issues within the squad.
“In football we cannot predict things and think ‘if it wasn’t for that coach’. We all should have done more because we had an incredible squad full of great players. We could have solved certain problems and we did not.”
The forward also argued that leadership must come from players as much as managers, using his previous spell at Vitória Guimarães as an example.
“I spent a year at Vitória Guimarães where we worked with five coaches and broke the club’s points record. We could not wait for leadership to come from the coach. We knew we had to go onto the pitch focused because a good group wins, solve problems and achieve objectives.”
According to Jota Silva, Besiktas failed to do that when difficulties appeared throughout the campaign.
Ready for Nottingham Forest return
His loan spell has now ended and Jota Silva made it clear he expects to report back to Nottingham Forest this summer.
“I will report for duty and do everything possible to have a great season individually and collectively, whether at Nottingham or another club I represent.”
While he stopped short of guaranteeing he will remain at the club, the comments sounded far more like a player preparing for pre-season than one actively pushing for another move.
Either way, that looks like a huge shift from the situation a year ago, when concerns about playing time contributed to his desire to leave and ultimately sparked the failed Sporting transfer attempt.
Vítor Pereira key to optimism
Jota Silva also made no secret of his admiration for Vítor Pereira and suggested the Portuguese coach could play an important role in his Forest future.
Asked whether Pereira’s arrival could improve his chances of establishing himself in the Premier League, he replied: “I hope so.”
“Vítor Pereira did a phenomenal job by securing Nottingham Forest’s survival with two or three games still left to play. He did it after taking over a team in a very difficult situation.”
Jota Silva revealed that conversations with teammates have left him with a positive impression of the coach’s work.
“From what I hear from my teammates, he managed to win over the group. The squad really likes the way the manager works and feels happy because they are playing attractive and exciting football. The performances have also been accompanied by results.”
For a player who struggled to establish himself before leaving on loan, Pereira’s popularity inside the dressing room may offer encouragement ahead of the new campaign.
