Young left or centre back who was in contract dispute with Brighton, so signed on loan as Forest's defence creaked alarmingly on their return to the Championship. Initially he struggled somewhat for form, and he had a few niggling injuries which prevented real progression, but as the season drew to a close we finally started to see the talent he has - he also later said that he took a while to adapt to playing at left back, as opposed to in the centre.

From the moment we got him there were persistent rumours that Forest were looking to sign him permanently, particularly since Julian Bennett's long road back from cruciate ligament damage extended well into the 2009-2010 season, so it was no huge surprise when he signed permanently in July 2009, with Matt Thornhill heading to the South Coast for a 6-month loan as part of the deal.