“He gave me lots of accountability from the day I walked within the door, to enhance the group and attempt to take the membership ahead.
“The quantity of respect he has from the squad is big. He’s come into a giant membership and turned issues round.
“Gamers are loving their soccer once more, however he’s all the time demanding extra and we haven’t achieved something but.”
The decision from Cooper was not possible for Cook dinner to withstand, at a time when he was out of the first-team image underneath Bournemouth supervisor Scott Parker.
Together with his contract expiring this summer season, plus the addition of former England worldwide Gary Cahill in August, Cook dinner knew the writing was on the wall.
It was nonetheless an extremely emotional second when he mentioned his farewells: he was a former captain and a vital determine in Bournemouth’s latest historical past, making almost 400 appearances, whereas he was additionally famend for his work in the area people.
“It was an enormous transfer and hard to depart however I’ve needed to take myself out of my consolation zone,” he says.
“The ten years I had at Bournemouth have been unbelievable, a 3rd of my life enjoying in leagues I by no means dreamed I’d play in.
“To expertise that success was unbelievable but it surely was an ideal time to go. I’d gone from enjoying each week to not even being within the squad.”
Regardless of all of the positivity round his transfer to Nottingham, Cook dinner admits it has additionally been a interval of adjustment.
“Residing away from my household is troublesome, it’s that aspect of soccer folks don’t realise. My children are in class down south and I can’t take them out. We’ve discovered a home now and they’re all shifting up right here in the summertime.
“I’ve solely been right here two months however I really feel like I’ve been right here ten years. I really feel like this transfer is bringing one other stage to my sport.”
Cook dinner has established a wonderful partnership in Cooper’s most well-liked back-three, which additionally contains captain Joe Worrall and Scotland worldwide Scott McKenna.
Since Cook dinner’s arrival, Forest have managed six clear sheets in 11 matches and function with a formation that encourages defenders to play out from the again.
A lot of the eye this season, nonetheless, has been on kids Brennan Johnson and Djed Spence, who have been each vastly influential within the cup successes over Premier League opposition.
Johnson is an attacker who was the topic of an £18 million bid from Brentford in January, whereas Spence, a wing-back signed on mortgage from Middlesbrough, is attracting curiosity from throughout Europe.
“They’re prime gamers with promising careers forward of them,” says Cook dinner.
“It’s going to be key how they deal with themselves with the added stress of groups making an attempt to take them out of the sport. They’re an enormous a part of this workforce.
“As one of many extra skilled gamers I converse to them loads, however they’ve obtained good folks round them.
“Brennan clearly had a possibility to maneuver on however I do know for a indisputable fact that he was suggested to remain at Forest. They’ve performed lots of video games and know what they should do.”
After Forest’s dramatic finale at Sheffield United on Friday night time, securing a attract harm time, the complete focus is now on Huddersfield.
Second within the Championship, and unbeaten in 18 video games, Huddersfield will characterize a extreme risk to Forest’s hopes of internet hosting Jurgen Klopp later this month.
“It’s doubtlessly harder than Arsenal and Leicester as a result of they know our sport as they’re in our league,” says Cook dinner.
“Huddersfield play in a really distinctive method and that is going to be removed from straightforward.
“We wish to be the place they’re within the desk, so that is as exhausting a cup tie as we may presumably face – however these are the phases we wish to be on.
“At Bournemouth we have been horrible within the FA Cup, aside from final yr, so it is a actual alternative to upset the percentages.”