Matt Turner responds after Gary Neville branded Forest goalkeeper "useless"

31 December 2023 , 22:30

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The scoreline speaks for itself - but this will be written into City Ground folklore as Matt Turner’s match.

‌ Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo and his merry men might have ended a 31-year wait for victory over Manchester United. But the star of the show was Turner on a night when Forest's shut-out star went from zero to hero in the blink of an eye.

‌That sentence warrants an explanation. Going into the late stages, Forest were doggedly protecting Nicolas Dominguez’s second-half sidefoot finish. Goalkeeper Turner - who had looked nervous all night with the ball at his feet - attempted a pass to midfielder Danilo.

‌It was cut out by Alejandro Garnacho whose brilliant piece of quick-thinking allowed Marcus Rashford to level. A collective groan swept around the stadium. Turner knew. Everyone knew. United had been gift-wrapped an opportunity and they went in for the kill.

‌"I've got no sympathy for him (Turner) whatsoever," moaned Sky Sports favourite Gary Neville on commentary. "It's absolutely ridiculous. He's useless with his feet, he's proven it time and time again, yet he still tries... What the hell are you doing?"

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‌Only a United victory never happened. The 29-year-old keeper recovered his composure - producing a superb stop to deny Christian Eriksen. From that save, Forest went directly up the other end and Morgan Gibbs-White grabbed the winner.

‌Turner clapped his hands in jubilation. He acknowledged his team-mates with a raised hand and then pulled off another top save when he tipped Bruno Fernandes's deflected volley over. Forest’s amiable No.1 said: "In the end, it was a beautiful night at the City Ground.

‌"You have to be perfect in the Premier League. We weren’t perfect - and I wasn’t perfect - but we dug deep and got the result I think we ultimately deserved. You know, there are ups and downs being a goalkeeper. I’ve had my moments this season.

Matt Turner went from zero to hero against Manchester United (Getty Images)

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‌"What happened out there was a microcosm of my whole career. I always seem to battle back. I looked around at the guys beside me - they weren’t blaming me and pointing fingers - they had my back tonight and we ended up getting the win.

‌"And you never want to make mistakes - but if you are going to make them - you want to respond in the right way and I think I did. So, it was an amazing feeling seeing Morgan score. The boys picked me up. We have each other’s backs.

‌"I think that’s clear and, personally, it felt nice. You always want to impact the game, cutting out crosses or making saves. But to have a direct impact on a goal we scored was pleasing - and it made me emotional."

‌Just like with United's equaliser, the City Ground understood Turner’s role in the goal that mattered. Five minutes earlier there had been frustration. Then there was forgiveness.

‌Turner said: "I think they know I’m trying my best. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I’m playing for this badge. It means the world to me, being here in Nottingham, I thank them for their support. I hear the chants and feel the love."

Asked if this could turn out to be Turner’s game, he added: "Hey, I won’t mind that! For me, the performances - particularly at home - have not been up to scratch - so this feels great. I just feel like I can walk around the city of Nottingham with my head held high after that one."