Ryan Yates stated that the team's future goal is to return to European competitions while maintaining the team spirit shown this season.

Looking back on the 2025/26 season, Ryan Yates believes Nottingham Forest has every reason to be proud of the team's performance, while also encouraging fans to continue to have high expectations for the future. As the team's first season competing in both the Premier League and European competitions in 30 years, Nottingham Forest not only reached the Europa League semi-finals but also finished the season in 16th place in the league.  

This season, Nottingham Forest fans have traveled with the team across Europe, visiting Seville, Graz, Utrecht, Braga, Istanbul, Henin, and Porto. On average, over 240 fans accompanied the team to each away European match, and they have never missed a single home Europa League game.  

Ryan Yates stated that the team's future goal is to return to European competition and continue the team spirit shown this season. He said, "Looking back on the whole season, we can be very proud of the team's performance at certain stages. I think we should look at this season in a positive light because when things get difficult, you have to come together, roll up your sleeves, and show real fighting spirit, and that's exactly what we did."  

"Reaching the semi-finals of a European competition is already an excellent achievement, and although we are disappointed with the final result, it is exactly what we hope to achieve again next season. Facing both the Premier League and European competitions simultaneously for the first time, the team gained valuable experience and boosted its confidence. We hope to return to European competitions with this experience and continue to compete."  

"To cope with the tight schedule of European competitions and league matches, the club has brought in many excellent players. People often say that this kind of pace is difficult, but only those who have experienced it firsthand can truly understand the exhaustion involved. Especially with an away game on Thursday, a return trip on Friday, and a Premier League match on Sunday, it is a huge challenge both physically and mentally. However, the reality is that you can't change the entire starting lineup for every game."  

“After Vitor Pereira took over the team, he improved the overall efficiency of the operation by making reasonable squad rotations and gave each player full trust and confidence, which enabled the team to better cope with multiple competitions. Although we did not reach the final in the end, there are still many things to be proud of throughout the season.”  

As team captain, Ryan Yates has played a crucial role in European competitions this season and stated that he has delivered many high-level performances. He said, "Personally, I really enjoy European competitions. I think my best performances this season have been on the European stage."  

“When playing against European teams, you can always feel a different atmosphere. Compared to the Premier League, the overall intensity of European competitions is slightly lower, especially when playing in city stadiums, where many opponents struggle to match our pace. That is the stage we hope to establish ourselves on long-term, and we will do our best to return to that level.”  

“That was an incredible moment and a very special night. I think it was one of the most important turning points of our season, not only changing the team’s mentality, but also making us realize that this team is not just a team with 12 to 14 core players, but a whole with real roster depth.”  

Speaking about the new signings this summer, Ryan Yates said they are gradually adapting to the team environment and there is still room for improvement. He said, "You can already see the strengths in these players, but they definitely need time to adapt. It's not an easy thing for players who don't have Premier League experience before."  

"If I were to play abroad, I would also need time to adapt to the environment and learn a new language. All of this takes time, but we have a group of promising new signings, so the team's future is worth looking forward to."  

"Maintaining consistency will be the most important task for next season. As Vitor Pereira gradually became familiar with the team, we achieved true consistency in our performance, not just in terms of results, but also in terms of content, and we also demonstrated the depth of the squad. This will be key to the team's future development. The team must maintain its current consistency, while continuing to strengthen its weak links, try to retain the core players, and strive to return to the European stage."  

Image source: Internet/Nottingham Forest official website