To some outside Nottingham, Morgan Gibbs-White’s England call-up might seem like it could be filed under the old pals’ act.
Nottingham Forest’s 24-year-old attacking midfielder was part of the England Under-21 side that won the European Championship last summer, under the guidance of Lee Carsley.
But those who follow Nottingham will know that Gibbs-White’s first senior call-up is not just down to his relationship with the man who is now the interim head coach of the England senior side.
It is hard-earned and deserved.
When Forest were promoted to the Premier League in the summer of 2022, Gibbs-White’s relationship with another of his former England coaches was unquestionably a major factor in deciding his fate.
Gibbs-White had been an integral figure in the England side that won the Under-17 World Cup under Steve Cooper. From the moment Forest’s Premier League status was confirmed, Cooper made Gibbs-White, then playing for Wolves, his No 1 target.
There were eyebrows raised when Forest committed to pay £25million ($32.9m at current conversion rates) — rising to a possible £42m — to bring him across the Midlands, especially as he was still relatively inexperienced at Premier League level back then.
But it has been money well spent.
Since Gibbs-White signed for Forest he has created 111 chances from open play in the Premier League. That is a little way behind Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United, who has created 176 during the same period, while Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard has laid on 156. But in terms of English players — and rivals for a place in the national team — only Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka (134) has been more creative than Gibbs-White.
Those 111 chances he has created over two-and-a-bit seasons have led to 18 assists for Gibbs-White which, again, in terms of Englishmen, ranks him highly. He is only beaten by Saka (23), Ollie Watkins (20) and James Maddison (20). Kevin De Bruyne has the most overall (27).
But at Forest, Gibbs-White has evolved into so much more than a creative force. He is a talisman; a driving force in the side. With Joe Worrall having joined Burnley and Ryan Yates, so far, finding himself on the bench, Gibbs-White has held the captain’s armband.
Even when he did not have the armband last season, he stood tall in key moments.
He scored the winner in a 2-1 success over Manchester United at the City Ground on December 30 and got the third in a 3-1 home win over Fulham in April. His five goals and 10 assists were integral to Forest’s survival. He was also a key figure in the 3-1 win at Sheffield United — where he spent 2021-22 on loan — in May, as Nuno’s side took a massive step towards safety.
More recently, his emphatically taken goal helped Forest secure their first away win of the campaign at Southampton.
When they pondered the prospect of selling one of their prize assets to keep them the right side of profit and sustainability regulations (PSR), it would have taken an offer of at least £70million for Gibbs-White to even prompt a conversation. His value to them may be greater than that.
When the England squad was announced last Thursday, the Forest squad heard the news as they filed back into the dressing room at the Nigel Doughty Academy after training. It was being announced on television. Gibbs-White’s selection prompted screams and cheers from many of his team-mates.
“It was a good moment and we were all so happy for him,” Wales international Neco Williams told journalists after Forest’s 1-1 draw with Wolves on Saturday. “I’m surprised it’s taken this long. He’s so important for us, he creates stuff, he gets goals and assists, so it was only a matter of time. At the moment it’s going on how you are doing for your club. That’s what it seems players are being picked on now — not just from their names.
“Morgan has been our best player, he’s consistent and he’s getting goals and assists. Hopefully he can put a good stamp on it (with England) when he gets there.”
Video footage of England training yesterday showed Gibbs-White beaming from ear to ear. Playing for England is something he has dreamt of since he was a young lad growing up in the West Midlands.
Gibbs-White training with England yesterday (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
When Gibbs-White left Wolves, having risen through the academy ranks since the age of eight, it was a landmark moment in his career. He went from being viewed as the kid with potential, an academy product given only sporadic opportunities in the first team, to briefly being Forest’s record signing.
Expectation levels changed, along with the perception people held of him. There may be a similar seismic shift now as he steps onto the international stage.
But while his call-up is a symbol of Gibbs-White’s personal evolution, it is also a reflection of the growth of Forest as a club.
The last man to play for England while at Forest was Stuart Pearce in 1997. That marked the end of an era when the likes of Nigel Clough, Steve Hodge, Neil Webb, Des Walker, Steve Stone and Stan Collymore had all frequently represented Forest on the England stage.
Forest had Dean Henderson, who had one England cap, on loan from Manchester United during the 2022-23 season, but Gibbs-White’s breakthrough feels different and could precipitate other call-ups.
Elliot Anderson, Callum Hudson-Odoi and West Ham loanee James Ward-Prowse are all Forest players who could also pitch themselves into the England reckoning if they flourish in the Garibaldi.
Anderson has played at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-21 level for Scotland, but has so far declined to commit himself to playing for them at senior level while he assesses his options.
Hudson-Odoi made his England debut in 2019 when he was only 18, coming on as a substitute in a 5-0 win against the Czech Republic, having been promoted from the under-21 squad amid injuries to senior players. Days later, against Montenegro, he became the youngest player to start a competitive England match since Wayne Rooney. He has three caps. Ward-Prowse has 11 England caps but hasn’t featured since narrowly missing out on the World Cup squad in 2022.
The fact Forest now have a few players with the quality to at least be on the England radar underlines how the squad has improved as they head into their third season of Premier League football.
But, for now, it is the name of Gibbs-White that Forest fans will be keeping an eye out for when Carsley names his starting XI on Saturday in Dublin.
Gibbs-White has the medals from his under-17 and under-21 successes in a frame on the wall of his house. He will hope that, by the end of next week, he will have an England cap to add to that collection.
(Top photo: Morgan Gibbs-White with England team-mates; Carl Recine via Getty Images)
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