Alan Hardy wants closer links between Notts County and Nottingham Forest

Notts County owner Alan Hardy has expressed his desire to forge closer links with Nottingham Forest and praised the attitude of their young players.

Jorge Grant, who Forest are looking to sign up on a three-year deal, had a successful loan spell at Meadow Lane, and Hardy believes all their academy prospects are being brought up the right way.

In his weekly Nottingham Post column, he wrote: "We want to continue to strengthen links with our neighbours.

"I do know that our manager, Kevin Nolan, has a good relationship with Frank McParland, their director of football.

"Forest do have an abundance of excellent young players who are on our doorstep and it would be remiss of us not to explore those avenues.

"There's something I greatly admire about the character of those Forest boys. They are really nice people to have around your football club and in the changing room.

"They have a great work ethic, they are the last off the training pitch, they always have a smile on their face and it's just the type of people that Kevin and I like as players.

"Whatever Forest do over there, they are certainly teaching them the right way."

To read the rest of Alan Hardy's weekly Nottingham Post column, click here.

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