Matt Turner has admitted he won’t hesitate to seek out another club if things don’t work out for him at Nottingham Forest.
After one year as Arsenal’s backup goalkeeper, Turner moved on to Forest last summer and began the season as the starter. But after being benched in the fall, only to regain his place, Turner was again replaced in the winter transfer window after Forest signed Matz Sels from Strasbourg.
Sels has become the full-time starter at Forest, with Turner only playing in cup matches since the Belgian’s arrival.
Ahead of the U.S. national team’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal against Jamaica, Turner spoke with USMNT legend Tim Howard about his place on head coach Gregg Berhalter’s depth chart.
“Obviously in a perfect world, in Gregg’s mind, I’m playing week-in, week-out, I’m in good form all the time, and then I’m playing well for the national team all the time. Unfortunately that’s not the reality right now,” Turner told the Daily Mail.
“But I’ve grown a lot as a goalkeeper in this last year — and also as a person… maybe I don’t have the greatest playing experience resume, but as like a life experience resume, I think I top almost any professional footballer in the world.”
Turner added: “Gregg understands the situation… we’ll sort out the club situation on the other side. I’ve had some good conversations with Nuno [Espírito Santo, Forest head coach] and they like what they see from me.”
After spending his first season in England as Arsenal’s backup, Turner said he went to the club’s leadership to inquire about his long-term status with the team.
Unable to receive assurances over a shot at playing, Turner sought a move away from north London. The 29-year-old admitted that he may be forced to have a similar conversation with Forest leadership.
“I’m not in the business of wasting time,” he said. “If it doesn’t work out for me here, then I can always move backwards. But when the opportunity presented itself… I had to jump at it.”
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