Nottingham Forest promotion-winning manager Steve Cooper is thought to be carefully weighing up his next move amid vast Championship interest.

Cooper fancies a bit of a project when it comes to his next move. The man who achieved iconic status at the City Ground after guiding Forest back to the Premier League in 2022 remains a very respected coach, and he’s currently available.

Cooper happy to play the long game

Since departing Leicester City, Cooper has been subject to enquiries and firm interest from Championship clubs, with his work at Forest and Swansea not going unnoticed with owners in the second tier.

His spell at Brondby wasn’t particularly successful, although the club have been on a downward slope for a number of years, with Cooper unable to arrest their slide.

Ben Jacobs has now delivered an update on Cooper, claiming that he’s been selective over his next club. With the manager having spent time managing in the Premier League and proving his credentials, he’s holding out for a project with a clear long-term structure and vision.

Steve Cooper managerial record

Cooper took Swansea to a Play-Off Final but couldn’t get them over the line in the quest to win promotion, before finally getting over the line with Forest.

Furthermore, he’s showcased his ability to manage young players with his brilliant work on the international stage, winning the World Cup with the under-17s.

Continued legacy at the City Ground

Cooper’s stock among Forest fans remains as high as ever. Cooper was praising Morgan Gibbs-White on Monday Night Football recently, and there is no way that fans will ever forget the work he did at the City Ground.

Cooper has the ability to unite a struggling dressing room low on confidence, and he goes down as one of the greatest managers the club has ever had alongside the iconic Brian Clough.

The Welshman has a proven track record of developing young talent, with Gibbs-White and Brennan Johnson two examples of this, and he will be an attractive appointment for a number of clubs across England and overseas.

A return to management does appear inevitable at some point. However, his willingness to wait for the right project suggests that he perhaps recognises that the move to Leicester was flawed from the start given his connections to Forest.

Forest fans will undoubtedly have one eye on where Cooper ends up next and whichever second tier club does end up with the head coach will be very fortunate to have him.