Dale Taylor has signed his first professional contract with Nottingham Forest, as reported by nottinghamforest.co.uk.
Taylor celebrated his 17th birthday on Saturday, and the Northern Irish youngster has now put pen to paper on a new contract after initially arriving from Linfield.
Forest reportedly fought off interest from Leeds United for Taylor’s signature back in July, and the teenager is tipped to have a bright future in English football.
The forward has yet to make a first-team appearance for Forest, but has scored eight goals for the under-18s and subsequently made the step up to under-23 football.
He has previous experience of playing senior football with Linfield under the guidance of legendary former Northern Ireland striker David Healy, making his senior debut aged just 15 in their 5-1 win over East Belfast in a Danske Bank Premiership fixture.
A month later, he scored his first professional goal for the side, and has since attracted plenty of plaudits from the likes of Healy and Irish FA Elite Performance Director Jim Magilton.
His exploits at international level have not gone unnoticed either, after he previously captained Northern Ireland’s under-17 side.
Forest are next in Championship action tonight when they host Sheffield Wednesday at the City Ground.
Chris Hughton’s side have endured a tough campaign to date and sit 21st, with only goal difference leaving them above the drop zone and East Midlands rivals, Derby County.
Hughton’s men will be aiming to end a run of seven games without a win and get three much-needed points to generate some breathing space between themselves and the relegation places.
