Steve Cooper: Who is new Nottingham Forest head coach and why do they have to pay compensation?

Nottingham Forest have appointed Steve Cooper as the successor to Chris Hughton after parting company with the Englishman last week.

The Reds under the stewardship of Hughton had suffered the worst start to a season in 108 years and it prompted the Forest hierarchy to part company with the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss with Steven Reid in temporary charge.

Reid had a winning start, claiming a 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town on Saturday, but his reign would turn out to be a short one with Forest today confirming Steve Cooper as Hughton’s permanent replacement.

So who is the man that will be tasked with changing the fortunes of one of English football’s illustrious clubs?

Who is Steve Cooper?

Cooper, 44, is a Welshman who was born in Pontypridd and is the son to Keith Cooper, a former Premier League and FIFA referee.

A former player, mainly for semi-professional sides in his native Wales, Cooper prioritised coaching over playing and was one of the youngest people to obtain the UEFA Pro Licence, the top qualification in management.

Previously the manager of Liverpool’s academy, Cooper was appointed Head Coach of the Under-16s and later the Under-17s of England.

He had much success there, winning the World Cup in 2017, coaching the likes of Manchester City starlet Phil Foden and Chelsea youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi.

His achievements saw him earn the job at Swansea as he succeeded Graham Potter, who moved to Brighton & Hove Albion.

In his time with the Swans, he secured two back-to-back play-off finishes with the last coming in May, where they lost to Brentford.

Why do Nottingham Forest have to pay compensation for Steve Cooper?

Although Cooper left his role in July, the 41-year old was only two years into a three year deal, meaning he still had over a year left on his Swansea City contract.

Rather than having his contract terminated when he left his role as manager, Cooper was place on garden leave by the club which means they would be due compensation should anyone move to hire him before the expiration of his contract.

What is garden leave?

Essentially, garden leave is a notice period that an employee serves where they may not undertake any new work or start a new job until their gardening leave is over.

The employee remains on the pay-roll of the company that has placed them on garden leave and continue to receive their normal pay while also adhere to the conditions of their employment, such as confidentiality agreements and non-compete clauses.

How much will Nottingham Forest have to pay Swansea for Steve Cooper?

No official compensation package has been confirmed but multiple news sources have reported a six figure amount as being accepted by the Welsh side.

What might his coaching staff look like?

It has been confirmed that Alan Tate, a club legend at the Swans, will follow Cooper to the Midlands.

Tate had only just been officially appointed as Swansea’s loan manager after a backroom reshuffle following Russell Martin’s appointment.

He was first-team coach during Cooper’s time in charge and perhaps is most remembered for controversially grabbing Jon Toral’s throat, earning him a four-game touchline ban and a fine by the FA.

Steve Rands, who was the Head Performance Analyst at Swansea is also following Cooper to Forest. He previously worked for Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola during his time at Manchester City.

Martyn Margetson, the goalkeeping coach at Swansea will not link up with Cooper this time though and will instead prioritise his duties with the English national team.

Why did he leave Swansea City?

It was never confirmed by Cooper or Swansea in why he departed South Wales, but it is understood that there were some differences in regards to player recruitment.

Key loanee players like Freddie Woodman and Marc Guehi returned to their respective clubs meanwhile Andre Ayew - the highest earner in the squad - left the club.

There were some concerns of the lack of securing a number nine in the January transfer window, despite the signings of Jordan Morris and Paul Arriola from the MLS.

Trevor Birch, who was club chairman for a brief time, was the key line in communication between management staff and the boardroom but after his departure, things became difficult.

What has Cooper got himself in for?

Job security is not a thing at the City Ground if you’re a manager. Cooper is becoming the 12th manager in 12 years.

Since Greek shipping magnate Evangelos Marinakis took ownership of the two-time Champions League winners, he has seen five managers come and go during his tenure.

Cooper’s reign begins this Saturday when he takes to the home dugout when Millwall come into town. Another date for the diary is December 11 when Nottingham Forest travel to Swansea, where it’ll be interesting to see what kind of reaction he gets.