Moving to Nottingham Forest hasn’t really been the Premier League dream that Lewis O’Brien must have dreamed of when he joined from Huddersfield.
The midfielder was plucked from the West Yorkshire outfit for £10 million shortly after Forest had beaten the Terriers in the final at Wembley in 2022. Harry Toffolo also made the move with O’Brien to the City Ground.
O’Brien made 14 appearances in the first half of 2022/23. However, things took a turn for the worse after the World Cup when amid injuries and illness, O’Brien was omitted from the 25-man squad and headed out on loan to D.C. United.
Last season he went out again, this time to Middlesbrough. Michael Carrick praised O’Brien during his time at the Riverside Stadium as he was forced to bounce back from a broken leg to get some games under his belt.
Nuno Espirito Santo still didn’t fancy O’Brien being part of the squad for 2024/25 and he spent the first half of the season with Los Angeles FC. The MLS outfit couldn’t sign the midfielder permanently, however, with a question mark over finances.
Lewis O’Brien does something at Swansea that he couldn’t manage at Forest
It’s a real shame that things didn’t work out for O’Brien at Forest. He always gave his all when called upon but for whatever reason, he simply couldn’t impress Steve Cooper to give him a regular run in the team.
O’Brien was signed as a player who had never operated in the Premier League and perhaps there is a sense that Forest simply admitted defeat when it came to his ability at the top level.
After joining Swansea on deadline day, O’Brien was thrust into action on Sunday as a 1-0 win was secured against Bristol City to give Luke Williams a first win of 2025.
O’Brien endeared himself to the supporters and in already having a song serenaded to him by the Swansea faithful, he’s managed something that he never received at Forest.
Speaking on the chant, he said: “It’s a unique chant, they’ve taken it from Huddersfield. To have been here a few days and already have a chant, it’s top class. The fans were amazing.”
O’Brien stars for Swansea during debut
This was a performance that showcased everything that is good about O’Brien. He roared into tackles at one end of the pitch and very nearly earned himself an assist at the other.
O’Brien is a quality player at Championship level. Given that Swansea are going to struggle to go for promotion this season, it’s perhaps a little surprising that the club have managed to get the deal over the line.
Still, perhaps the Forest man has gone there as he knows he will get plenty of minutes. Swansea recently lost Matt Grimes to Coventry and midfield cover was required.
O’Brien already looks right at home at Swansea. A quality debut has seen the Swans faithful warm to him and hopefully he can play plenty of games and Forest can comfortably sell him on during the summer.
