'Lingard is a top signing... we're not just there to make up the numbers'

Jesse Lingard is a “top signing” who brings much-needed Premier League knowhow to Nottingham Forest, says Reds captain Joe Worrall.

Lingard has moved to the City Ground as a free agent, becoming Forest’s 11th summer singing before their first top-flight season for 23 years.

“We know Jesse is a fantastic player,” Worrall told BBC East Midlands Today.

“He is somebody who is proven in the Premier League, and that is what we need in our squad if we are going to achieve good things this season.

“He has played more than 30 games for England. At Manchester United, I think he scored some big goals - FA Cup goals, Premier League goals. At West Ham, after being out of it for a little bit, he went there to showcase what he can do.

“He is a top signing for us."

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis assured head coach Steve Cooper that he would be given "the ammunition" to compete in the top flight after they were promoted in May, and Worrall feels he has delivered to date, with about £70m spent on the other 10 arrivals.

"The owner has been absolutely fantastic with the purchase of the players, the calibre of players. He has stuck to his word and we are thankful for that," Worrall added.

"I don’t think one signing can show we are automatically going to achieve something this year.

“Starting with the owner, we are all aligned. We know the ambition of the club, we are not just there to make up the numbers.

"Forest are a massive club - an institution, if you like - and it is something the players coming into the building, and also players who have been here for a while, have a duty to carry forward."