--- source: thedugout.football generated: 2026-07-26T11:24:22.573Z last_updated: 2026-07-26T06:00:00+00:00 data_provider: API-Football canonical: https://thedugout.football/clubs/nottingham-forest/news/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubm90dGluZ2hhbXBvc3QuY29tL3Nwb3J0L2Zvb3RiYWxsL2Zvb3RiYWxsLW5ld3Mvbm90dGluZ2hhbS1mb3Jlc3QtaWdvci1qZXN1cy1nb2Fscy0xMTA3NzE5OA --- # Inside story of Igor Jesus’ incredible Forest transformation - in his own words - **Source:** - **Published:** 26 Jul - **Club:** Nottingham Forest - **Original URL:** https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/football-news/nottingham-forest-igor-jesus-goals-11077198 There is one particular topic that makes Igor Jesus’ eyes light up as he looks ahead to the new season with Nottingham Forest. The Brazilian is well-versed on what to expect in the Premier League now, after his first year at the City Ground. The nuances of English football took some getting used to but Jesus is all the better for the experience of the past 12 months. He knows what is coming whenever he finds the back of the net, too. And the very thought of it draws a big grin from the Reds front man. “He walks on the Trent. He walks on the Trent. Igor Jesus, he walks on the Trent,” rings out from the stands when the 25-year-old scores. At the mere mention of Forest fans, Jesus beams. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Get all the Nottingham Forest latest via our Facebook page “I just feel incredible,” he replies when asked how hearing supporters singing his name makes him feel. “Everybody understands me now. “I'm so happy with the fans because they give us confidence and support us all the time. I just want to say thank you to everybody for giving me the confidence and support.” Jesus’ chant got quite a few airings last term, particularly on the continent. He finished joint top scorer in the Europa League with seven goals and bagged 16 across all competitions in the Garibaldi. It wasn’t a particularly easy time for the newcomer, though. From finishing the Brazilian season with Botafogo and then competing in the Club World Cup before his switch to the banks of the Trent, he barely got a break. From there, it was straight into pre-season with the Reds and then the demands of a long - and chaotic - campaign. And all while Jesus was trying to find his feet in a new country and a new league. He has previously admitted to feeling like he was “years behind” when he stepped into the Premier League cauldron. Recognising the physical nature of the division, his work with a personal trainer has paid dividends by making him stronger and he also feels the benefit of now having plenty of game time under his belt. “It’s so hard,” Jesus tells the Nottingham Post as he reflects on his first year in England. “The players, they have a lot of quality and are so very strong. “I just tried to adapt fast and help the team. That was the most important thing for me. “It is different. It is physical and hard. Sometimes you feel something different, you know? You need to work and prepare well to be ready for the contact. I just try to prepare all the time with my personal trainer to do good work on the pitch. “I really feel so good now. I’m getting better because I’ve been here for one year now. “Last season, with a lot of games, it was so difficult because everybody just felt the heavy schedule with playing every two or three days. Now, we have the full season just in the Premier League and in the cups. I think we can do well. “I just feel so good. I prepare my body by bringing my personal trainer everywhere with me to prepare for the season and do a good job here. You need to work hard every day to improve your performance.” With Chris Wood absent for much of last term due to a knee injury, it was mostly left to Jesus to lead the line for Forest. It was a case of being thrown in at the deep end, and all amid four managers taking up post over the course of the campaign. Wood being sidelined for so long presented Jesus with an opportunity - and it was one he was eager to grasp. Even so, a weight seemed to be lifted when the New Zealand international finally returned. In the final weeks of the season, Vitor Pereira took to playing Jesus just behind Wood in more of a No.10 role. Morgan Gibbs-White moved to the left and Omari Hutchinson played on the right. “It's a different position,” Jesus says. “I just needed to adapt with Gibbs-White, Omari and Chris to have a good connection and work well with them. “Chris is an amazing guy and a very good player. We have good quality in the squad and everyone can do a good job. “We do what's best for the team. It is not just me or Chris or Gibbs-White that needs to score; to get the points we need everyone to help.” The link-up between Gibbs-White and Jesus has already been evident this pre-season. Forest’s No.10 teed up his teammate in the opening friendly against Notts County and then also played a part in the forward netting the opener against Blackburn Rovers in midweek. “He needs to understand me and I need to understand him,” Jesus explains. “That's why we need to have a good connection and do a good job on the pitch. “All the time, me and Morgan try to have a good connection. One moment can change a game and we can do it together. “He's a great player. All the time they try to find me on the pitch and find the attacking players because we know his quality. He can play some good balls for us to score the goals.” Jesus is speaking to The Post from the Reds’ pre-season base in the Algarve. He arrives fresh from a training session in the searing Portuguese heat as he and his teammates continue to adapt to new head coach Oliver Glasner amid a 12-day camp. The Austrian is a proven winner, as he demonstrated by helping Crystal Palace secure the first silverware in their history with three major trophies. The goal is to repeat that success Trentside, with Jesus eager for a return to European football. “He's a good coach. He tries to show what he wants me to do on the pitch,” the front man says. “All the time he tries to explain the plan to us and how he wants the team to play. He shows us every day in training what he wants and we are working hard to prepare for the games. “It’s good that he has won trophies before. We can do it here and win some trophies. “The first season in the Europa League was amazing and I scored a good amount of goals. It was a very good moment for the club because it had been a long time since we had been in Europe. We did a good job and made it to the semi-finals, which was amazing. “I'm really happy and I want to continue to score more goals in the Premier League. It's very important for me and to help the team. “Everyone wants to score a lot of goals. I am a striker. I need to work hard now, in this moment, to prepare my body, to prepare for the whole season. Any moment you can get the opportunity, you just need to be ready and score the goal.” There is no need for a translator for this interview; Jesus’ English has improved significantly over the past year and he can comfortably hold a conversation. He already had some grasp of the language from his four years in Dubai with Shabab Al Ahli, who he joined in 2020 after coming up through the ranks at Coritiba, and has picked up more from speaking with teammates and coaches around the training ground. He is familiar with the Nottingham phrase “ay up, me duck” now - even if it required some explaining. The mix of accents at the club has also taken a bit of getting used to. “When I was in Dubai, I tried to speak with the people there a little bit,” Jesus says. “Here, I tried to improve my English because it's so different. “Sometimes you listen to something different and you want to know what they are saying. I try to understand what they say. I talk to people and they explain exactly what something means for me.” Away from football, the striker became a dad for the first time earlier this year. Henri Jesus is now two-and-a-half months old and clearly has one very proud father. “Now I have the responsibility,” Jesus smiles. “I just need to be a good father. It’s a good feeling. I want to be with him at the City Ground.” Delivered straight to your inbox, our regular email bulletins feature all the latest Forest news, views, gossip, opinion and transfer updates. 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