Ola Aina

Aina has played across almost every position along Forest's back line at one point or another, shifting from a conventional full back into a wing back within a back three without needing much time to adjust. That comfort with positional change comes from years of being asked to do exactly that for both club and country. It has made him one of the more trusted names whenever the system shifts mid match.

Versatility of that kind carries a quiet cost, because a defender who can play three or four roles competently is rarely seen as undroppable in any single one of them. The argument among Forest supporters is whether that flexibility should be celebrated as a rare skill in itself. Some simply see a player who has never nailed down one position as unquestionably his own.