Nottingham Forest made their return to the Premier League this season and to match their new top-flight status made a large number of signings building a brand new squad with 22 signings over the summer.

Steve Cooper achieved something that would have been considered an impossible task when he joined the Garibaldi Reds just one year ago, with Forest in the Championship relegation zone following a horrendous start to the season with just one point after seven games.

However, the Welshman turned Forest's fortunes around by delivering success in the playoffs to take the club back into the Premier League for the first time in two decades, and now has another difficult challenge in keeping them up.

Although the club proved their ambition by spending £150m in the transfer window, Evangelos Marinakis can now save millions going forward by nurturing and giving opportunities to talented youth players that could play a part in the future at Forest.

One player who could find himself in with a chance to breakthrough into the senior team next season is 20-year-old gem Fin Back, who is currently on loan in League Two with Carlisle United.

The young fullback has been hailed as "excellent" already by Carlisle boss Paul Simpson, speaking highly of Back in an interview (via The Cumberland News and Star):

“Definitely (better than I imagined). I knew from conversations I had with him that he seemed a really good professional and from my conversations with Steve Cooper…he really likes him.

“He thinks he’s got a hell of a chance. It’s a massive one for us to get him in, it really is.

“Fin’s been excellent and hopefully, he carries on that way.”

Over ten appearances so far this season, Back has delivered one assist and created three big chances already, making 1.1 key passes, 2.3 tackles, 1.7 clearances and winning 6.8 duels per game, proving that he is definitely one to watch over the coming months as he continues to develop in the fourth tier.

Forest signed Neco Williams to occupy the right-back position after failing to secure the signing of last season's loan player Djed Spence, alongside Serge Aurier and Giulian Biancone but Back could certainly compete for a position in the future.

With that being said, Cooper could unearth his next young prodigy in Back if the club continue to give the young defender the opportunities to prove his worth either out on loan or as part of the squad next season.