By John Swift
May 20 2004

Des Walker has decided to stay on at Forest and coach young players, as he ends an illustrious playing career. The experienced centre-back will still be envolved with the club at which he has played most of his career football, despite ending his playing career.

Des Walker has ended his career as a player, and began a new one in the world of coaching. Coaching is something that Des is reportedly interested in and a coach job with the reds will be a great start for him. Des has had two great spells with Nottingham Forest playing over 300 matches for the club, and even scoring one, more if you count those in his own net. But it would be unfair to criticise Des who has been a great servant of the football club. It is now more than 20 years sice Des first appeared for Nottingham Forest, back then he was 18 and we beat Everton 1-0. That was way back in the days before the Premiership, the 83-84 season to be exact.

Since then Des has moved away from Forest, playing at Sampdoria, where he was forced into an uncomfartable left-back role by current England coach Sven Goran-Eriksson. He then went on to play at Sheffield Wednesday making over 300 appearances for them also. Des is highly regarded as a hero at two clubs. Des of course later retruned to Forest almost two years ago at the beginning of the 02/03 season. And since then he has put in more great performances for the club.

So as it is sad that a great player like Des' playing career has to end, also an exciting new avenue of coaching, and maybe even management, has opened up. It's nice that he will begin this road where his other began and ended, on the banks of the Trent. Des has a lot to offer as a coach. He has a good knowledge of how the game is played nowadays, as he's played very recently. He also will have a lot to offer to our two young English centre-backs Dawson and Morgan.

On behalf of the ForestFC.co.uk team I wish Des good luck with his coaching career.