'This is just about the game' - Cooper steers clear of Reds past before reunion

Image source, Getty Images

  • Author, Nick Mashiter
  • Role, 91热爆 Sport football news reporter

Leicester boss Steve Cooper refused to speak about his Nottingham Forest past before his City Ground return.

The 44-year-old faces Forest for the first time since being sacked last December at King Power Stadium on Friday.

Cooper, who spent just over two years at the City Ground, guided Forest back to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years when they won the Championship play-offs in 2022.

The Foxes are looking for three straight wins after victories over Bournemouth and Southampton - and Cooper was eager to steer clear of his past.

He said: "We did all that in the summer. It's about the work with the club here and the players here. It doesn鈥檛 matter who we play now - that's completely where my focus is.

"That's enough to consume me and my mind. People that know me will know I stay on task with the job I do and don't let anything interfere with that. That is the same this week."

Forest are eighth after beating Crystal Palace 1-0 on Monday, but a Leicester win would leave them a point behind and lift them into the top 10.

Cooper added: "This is just about the game. This is just about the players we are working with and the staff, getting ready for an exciting game - Friday night under the lights, live on TV.

"This is why the team fought so hard last year to get back in the Premier League, and the same for the opposition as well. That's where my focus is. There is no time to think about anything else.

"I don't want to think about anything else because the moment you are not 100% committed or focused on the job in hand you get punished."