Jack Lester

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See also Jack Lester (disambiguation)

Jack Lester (born Sheffield, 8th October 1975) is a football player who is in his second spell with Nottingham Forest.

Despite always being credited as a striker, he always seems much more at home, and effective, in an attacking midfield role, just behind the front line, like in his first spell with Forest when he played behind Marlon Harewood and David Johnson.

Lester started his career off with Grimsby Town and signed pro in 1994 as a 19 year old. He made over 90 appearances and scored 17 league goals, not a great strike rate for a forward. This led to him being loaned out to Doncaster Rovers. He played 10 games (4 in the starting lineup) and scored one goal.

David Platt then signed him for Nottingham Forest in 2000 for £300,000. Many fans didn't like such a high amount of money being payed out for a player who hadn't really done anything in the past to prove he was a good buy. The spending of Platt is what plunged Forest into debt with his signings like David Johnson, who cost £3,000,000 and the trio of Italian players that cost Forest over £5 million. Platt didn't realise that Forest didn't have that kind of money to spend.

It took some time for Lester to get settled in at Forest and when Platt left the club, new manager Paul Hart moved Lester to an attacking midfield role in which Lester flourished and became a fan favourite.

Lester made over 70 starts for Forest and scored 24 goals. He managed so little goals because he played in the midfield role much more than as a striker.

In 2003 he was released by Paul Hart to get him of the wage bill and try to lighten debts that were caused by Platt. He was signed by his hometown club Sheffield United. Where he only made 30 appearances. During the end of his Sheffield career he had a falling out with manager Neil Warnock which saw him drop right down the pecking order. Team mate Danny Cullip did the same and was also signed by Forest at the start of the 05-06 season.

When Lester was offered the chance to go back to Forest, he jumped at it, and he was re-signed by Joe Kinnear in 2004. He returned with a bang and scored on his first game back with Forest. On his third game back at Forest (the humiliating 3-0 defeat to local rivals Derby County) he damaged ligaments in his knee which kept him out of action for almost 9 months.

When he made his comeback he scored on his return from the penalty spot and went gone on to play over 30 games in his second spell with The Reds, most of them as a sub though. He is now becoming a favourite with manager Colin Calderwood and is once again playing in the hole behind the front men.

[edit] Honours

[edit] Grimsby Town

• Second Division playoff winner: 1998

Nottingham Forest F.C. - Current Squad
1 Smith | 3 Padula | 4 Gary Holt | 5 Morgan | 6 Breckin | 7 Southall | 8 Commons | 9 Tyson | 10 Dobie | 11 Grant Holt | 14 Lester | 15 Harris | 16 Clingan | 17 Perch | 20 Pedersen | 21 Curtis | 22 Cullip | 23 Agogo | 24 Beaumont | 27 Hughes | 29 Bennett | 33 Fernandez | 34 Gamble | 37 McGugan | Manager: Calderwood