Sean Dyche says taking charge of Nottingham Forest for the first time this Thursday “rounds the circle” of his footballing journey, as he returns to the club where his career began under the legendary Brian Clough.

The 54-year-old becomes Forest’s third manager of the season, succeeding Ange Postecoglou, who was dismissed just 39 days after replacing Nuno Espírito Santo.

A former boss at Watford, Burnley, and Everton, Dyche’s immediate challenge is to halt Forest’s recent Premier League slump. However, his first game will be in the Europa League — a home clash with Portuguese giants Porto at the City Ground.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Dyche reflected fondly on his early days at Forest as an apprentice during the late 1980s, when Clough’s side was still among Europe’s elite.

“I’ve got a longer history with the club, from ’87 to ’90,” Dyche recalled. “I remember walking down the River Trent and seeing Del Boy, Brian Clough’s dog, running past, with Cloughie’s voice echoing in the background.

“There were so many top players then — real legends — and I just wanted to pull that shirt on. To come back now as manager really does round the circle for me. But I’m not here for nostalgia — there’s a job to be done.”

Dyche, who left Everton in January after two years in charge, will be joined on the Forest coaching staff by several club alumni, including Ian Woan, Steve Stone, Tony Loughlan, and Billy Mercer.

“They’ve got an even deeper history here than I do,” Dyche said. “But it’s a very different club now — we’re moving forward.”

Under the pragmatic Espírito Santo, Forest finished seventh last season, even challenging for a Champions League spot at one stage. Postecoglou’s more expansive style failed to deliver results, and Dyche — renowned for his direct, disciplined approach — was asked what fans can expect from his tenure.

“We’ve got to get back to winning ways,” he said. “They tailed off a bit at the end of last season and haven’t started well this time. But this is a talented group with real desire — they showed that last year. Now we have to reignite that.”

When asked about the growing emphasis on set pieces and long throws in modern football, Dyche offered a pragmatic view.

“I did a podcast with Tony Pulis recently — now he’s being praised for long throws, when before he got hammered for them,” Dyche smiled. “That’s football. The fashions change all the time. I’m not here to make a statement one way or another — I just like it when you win.”

The 54-year-old becomes Forest’s third manager of the season, succeeding Ange Postecoglou, who was dismissed just 39 days after replacing Nuno Espírito Santo.

A former boss at Watford, Burnley, and Everton, Dyche’s immediate challenge is to halt Forest’s recent Premier League slump. However, his first game will be in the Europa League — a home clash with Portuguese giants Porto at the City Ground.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Dyche reflected fondly on his early days at Forest as an apprentice during the late 1980s, when Clough’s side was still among Europe’s elite.

“I’ve got a longer history with the club, from ’87 to ’90,” Dyche recalled. “I remember walking down the River Trent and seeing Del Boy, Brian Clough’s dog, running past, with Cloughie’s voice echoing in the background.

“There were so many top players then — real legends — and I just wanted to pull that shirt on. To come back now as manager really does round the circle for me. But I’m not here for nostalgia — there’s a job to be done.”

Dyche, who left Everton in January after two years in charge, will be joined on the Forest coaching staff by several club alumni, including Ian Woan, Steve Stone, Tony Loughlan, and Billy Mercer.

“They’ve got an even deeper history here than I do,” Dyche said. “But it’s a very different club now — we’re moving forward.”

Under the pragmatic Espírito Santo, Forest finished seventh last season, even challenging for a Champions League spot at one stage. Postecoglou’s more expansive style failed to deliver results, and Dyche — renowned for his direct, disciplined approach — was asked what fans can expect from his tenure.

“We’ve got to get back to winning ways,” he said. “They tailed off a bit at the end of last season and haven’t started well this time. But this is a talented group with real desire — they showed that last year. Now we have to reignite that.”

When asked about the growing emphasis on set pieces and long throws in modern football, Dyche offered a pragmatic view.

“I did a podcast with Tony Pulis recently — now he’s being praised for long throws, when before he got hammered for them,” Dyche smiled. “That’s football. The fashions change all the time. I’m not here to make a statement one way or another — I just like it when you win.”