Anthony Elanga enjoyed Nottingham Forest’s win over his former club (Picture: Getty Images)
Anthony Elanga says it was personal for him as Nottingham Forest took on his former club Manchester United on Saturday, with the winger playing a big role in a famous Forest win.
The home side downed the Red Devils 2-1 at the City Ground, with Nicolas Dominguez and Morgan Gibbs-White goals either side of a Marcus Rashford equaliser.
Elanga had shown promise after coming through the Manchester United academy but was allowed to leave for just £15m over the summer, making the switch to Nottingham Forest.
He has been impressive this season, scoring four goals and providing six assists and he is glad he was able to prove something to his former club on Saturday night.
‘Last season wasn’t easy for me because I’d play five or 10 minutes, then I wouldn’t play for 10 games, I’d be in-and-out, in-and-out,’ Elanga told NBC Sports.
‘I just stayed strong. I had my family supporting me, it’s been difficult when I hadn’t even been in the squad. This game was kind of personal for me because I wanted to prove that…listen I’m capable of playing at a high level. I’m just grateful for Nottingham Forest for bringing me in.
‘Before the game I tried to put my emotions aside and just stay as professional as I could. Today, not just me, but the whole team played really well.
‘That assist for Morgan was special because that puts me on double figures. Last year I don’t think I scored. Now I’m on four goals and six assists, I just want to keep pushing and working hard because I feel like the sky’s the limit.’
Elanga’s chances to shine were few and far between at Manchester United (Picture: Getty Images)
The win over the Red Devils came after an impressive victory over Newcastle United, making it a great start to life at the City Ground for new manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Elanga added: ‘We had a game plan that we wanted to stick by and obviously Nuno and the rest of the staff have come in and brought a sense of calmness to the club.
‘We stuck to the game plan, each and every single one of us played really well, we worked hard and got the result in the end.’
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