Kevin Nolan's managerial tenure at Notts County has today hit the one-year mark and the gaffer had plenty to reminisce about, but insists there is to be no resting on laurels.

This time last year, the Magpies were seemingly destined for the Conference, and perhaps even extinction, until Alan Hardy took over the club and brought Nolan along with him.

There was a lot of doubt over the appointment, given his relative inexperience - he had only had a short stint at Leyton Orient - and the task at hand.

However, Nolan went on to secure safety with several games to spare and, in the current campaign, has guided Notts to the automatic promotion spots and the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The former midfielder described the "great escape" as his proudest achievement, especially as "no-one believed", but is eager to keep building and ensure that 2018 is just as joyous as 2017, if not more.

“Last year when we came in after 10 games on the spin losing and then stayed up the way we did, that’s a great escape,” he told the Nottingham Post.

“It was fantastic what the players achieved after what they’d been through, so for me that was the proudest achievement.

“There’s no better escape than that because we were 91st in the league, had lost 10 games on the spin, were hours from going into administration.

"A new owner comes in and apparently gives a rookie manager who doesn’t know much a chance, and we do what we did. That’s how it was. That’s my greatest achievement because no one believed.

“For me, it’s been a fantastic 12 months, it has. I’ve loved every minute of it and I’m hoping we can continue to grow together – the club, myself, Alan (Hardy), together we can just keep making this club better, we can get it to where Alan wants it to be. But we’re still in the early phase of that, we’re a year in.

"There’s not many teams can say they’ve had the success we’ve had in the first year. For me, it’s about making sure we maintain our dignity and not get too carried away and too proud of ourselves, and start patting each other on the back because we’re still in our infancy, we’ve still got a long, long way to go in everything. We’ve got a lot of work to go to get to where we want to, and to succeed.”

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Notts County have announced the permanent signing of Crystal Palace midfielder Noor Husin on a one-and-a-half-year deal.

The 20-year-old came through the Reading academy, going on to make his senior football bow during a loan spell at Hemel Hempstead Town.

Husin, who was born in Afghanistan, then moved to Selhurst Park from the Madejski in August 2016.

Last season he spent time on loan in League Two, scoring once in 11 appearances for Accrington Stanley - incidentally against Notts.

"I've come from a Premier League club but this has all the attributes to hopefully get there one day," Husin told the official Magpies site.

"I'm delighted to be able to help the club try to achieve its ambitions. It's a massive club with good support so everything about it excites me.

Husin will be in contention for Saturday's meeting with Lincoln City and he added: "I was made aware of the game and how big it is. Hopefully we can win and stay up there in the automatic promotion places.

"It's not going to be easy. Lincoln are doing well, but I'm sure the boys will be doing all they can to get a good result.

"Hopefully I can show the gaffer I should be involved and, if I get on the pitch, I'll be looking to help the team in any way I can and hopefully get three important points for the fans."

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Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has spoken highly of new loan arrival Matty Virtue and admitted that Ryan Yates's untimely departure is part and parcel of football.

Yates was on loan at Meadow Lane until Wednesday, when he was recalled by Nottingham Forest and sent out to League One side Scunthorpe United, also penning a new City Ground deal.

The Magpies have moved quickly to bring in a replacement in the shape of Liverpool Under-23 captain Virtue.

"We've had some fantastic recommendations from some really good players who have been in the game," Nolan told the official Notts site.

"He trained with us today for the first time and you can see he's a real fox in the box and that he times his runs really well. He's a very good technician and passer of the ball.

"I think you'll see the better Matty Virtue in a couple of weeks' time. It's always tough when you come into a new environment but you can already see he's more than capable.

"We're hoping when he crosses that white line it suits him and we start taking him on an upward curve.

"He's going to be given a great opportunity to excel here and go back to Liverpool a better player. We'll help him as much as we can."

When asked by the Nottingham Post about Yates's departure, Nolan replied:“I’m obviously disappointed to lose Ryan because he’s been a major part of our squad in the last six months. He’s done really well for us.

“It’s brilliant for him that’s he’s earned a contract over the road on the back of what he’s done here. I’m absolutely delighted for him, and wish him well going forward.

“It come as a surprise because we wanted him for the year, but that’s football. He was given a decision to make, and he’s made his decision, so all we do is wish him the best.”

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What's been happening in League Two over the last week?

Here is Pride of Nottingham's round-up of the biggest League Two news from the last seven days.

Carlisle United striker Steven Rigg left the club on conclusion of his short-term contract, signed in October.

Notts County signed Liverpool Under-23 captain Matty Virtue on loan as a replacement for Ryan Yates, who was recalled by parent club Nottingham Forest and shipped out to Scunthorpe United until the end of the season.

Port Vale signed Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Donovan Wilson on loan until the end of the season and also recruited Dior Angus permanently from Redditch United, whilst letting Anthony de Freitas go upon expiry of his contract.

Winger Reece Mitchell left Chesterfield after his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.

Forest Green Rovers snapped up former Notts defender Haydn Hollis after his contract was cancelled at Meadow Lane, and Reuben Reid has also joined from Exeter City.

FGR also signed Gavin Gunning from Port Vale and Farrend Rawson from Derby.

Cheltenham Town signed Fulham striker Elijah Adebayo on loan until the end of the season.

Crewe Alexandra midfielder James Jones will be out for 10 to 12 weeks after damaging a medial collateral knee ligament in training.

Grimsby Town signed Derby striker Charles Vernam on loan until the end of the season.

Chesterfield owner Dave Allen reportedly agreed in principle an offer in the region of £10m to sell the club to a Chinese investment consortium.

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Notts County have announced the loan signing of Liverpool Under-23s captain Matty Virtue on a deal until the end of the season.

The Magpies were left reeling following Ryan Yates's recall from parent club Nottingham Forest but have moved quickly to bring in a replacement in the middle of the park.

Virtue is highly rated at Anfield and has been singled out for praise by academy manager Neil Critchey, who says he has been outstanding this season for the Under-23s and is also a great role model for his teammates.

"It's a massive opportunity for me," Virtue told the Notts site.

"It's my first loan move - I've needed to come out and get games and this is the perfect place with the gaffer and the experienced players in the squad.

"Coming here to work with Kevin Nolan was a huge pull. I want to be a goalscoring midfielder and I think I can learn and progress a lot under him.

"He has seen me play and knows what I can bring to the team. He has shown faith in me by bringing me to the club.

"I think I've been playing strongly at under-23 level and shown what I can do, which has helped me get this move. Playing against senior professionals is the next step in my career and I'm here to learn.

"I'm a box-to-box midfielder who likes to get up and down the pitch and chip in with a few goals. I want to work hard and bring energy to the team.

"I spoke to Jordan Williams yesterday about his experience here a few seasons ago; he was full of praise and told me to come here and enjoy it."

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Notts County have confirmed that Ryan Yates has been recalled from his loan at Meadow Lane by parent club Nottingham Forest.

The 20-year-old made 29 appearances for the Magpies in a fruitful loan spell which saw the team rise to second in League Two and reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.

On Wednesday, speculation arose linking Yates with a loan move to Scunthorpe United as well as a new contract by the City Ground outfit.

Notts have now confirmed that Yates has returned over the Trent, and the player had kind words to say about the club and fans.

“I can’t begin to describe how much I have enjoyed my five months at Meadow Lane," he told the official Notts site.

“I can’t thank the chairman, manager, staff, my team-mates and supporters enough for helping me settle in and develop as a player.

“Notts will always have a place in my heart and I wish everyone connected with the club well for the rest of the season and beyond.”

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Alan Hardy has revealed that Notts County launched a bid to sign Ryan Yates on a permanent deal from Nottingham Forest but were turned down.

The 20-year-old is heavily rumoured to be on the verge of being recalled by the Reds and shipped out on loan to Scunthorpe United.

Speaking to Team Talk on Notts TV, Hardy said: “I made a bid which got turned down.

"They want to keep him and in fairness to Ryan Yates, he’s been at Forest since he was nine.

“His ambition is, I want to play alongside Joe Worrall against Arsenal in the FA Cup – that’s where Ryan Yates’ head is and we will try and help him on his journey.

“He’s on a journey to play for Forest because that’s where his heart really is.”

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Alan Hardy has spoken of the event Notts County put up on Monday night for the FA Cup fourth-round draw, speaking on how humbling it is to acknowledge the difference made to the fans' lives.

On Friday, Hardy will have been owner and chairman of the Magpies for one year, and the improvements made by the club and team cannot be described as anything other than a total rebirth from the previous mess.

After Notts clinched a superb 1-0 win over Championship Brentford in the FA Cup third round, Meadow Lane hosted an event where several hundred fans watched the draw alongside Hardy and other club officials plus players.

“It’s actually really humbling to get feedback from the fans. Events like that bring home how much we impact people’s lives,” Hardy told the Nottingham Post.

“We live in this football bubble which I joined 12 months ago. You quickly become all consumed by this football world and your own self-importance because you’ve got a job to do.

“You’ve got to get this club fit for purpose. Sometimes you lose sight of how much this club means to people.

“We put on this event for 250 people. It came after I was walking down the side of the pitch at Brentford on Saturday.

“We had 1,300 people there singing their hearts out and I said to (Notts director and BT sport commentator) Darren Fletcher ‘look at these amazing fans’.

“They make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I wanted them to be at the draw and he said 'if anyone can make it happen you can big fella'.

“Within 25 minutes we’d got a concept for a live show and we sold out within three or four hours.

“We had ardent fans there and it’s humbling to be amongst them. It’s very humbling to hear what a difference we’ve made to people’s lives.”

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Haydn Hollis has joined Forest Green Rovers after having his Notts County contract terminated to facilitate his move to the New Lawn.

The 25-year-old, who progressed through the Magpies academy system before making his debut in 2012, made 137 appearances for the club and scored eight times.

However, Hollis slipped down the pecking order this season, being restricted to appearances in the EFL Cup and EFL Trophy, and has now opted to join Mark Cooper's League Two side to get first-team football.

Kevin Nolan told the official Notts site on Hollis's departure:"I would like to wish Haydn all the best in his new venture.

"Even though his first-team opportunities have been limited this season due to the fine form of Richard Duffy, Shaun Brisley and also Elliott Hewitt, his attitude in training and around the club has been first class.

"I'm confident he will go on to have an excellent end to the season and career. I'm gutted to lose him but it was in his best interests to move on and play football."

Hollis, meanwhile, said: "It was really hard for me to leave after nine great years but the time has come to move on in my career.

"I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone connected with the club every success in the future."

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Alan Hardy has stressed that Notts County are seeking to do their January transfer business early in the window to allow for players to be settled come the end of the month.

So far, the Magpies have made one signing, Liam Noble registering as a player after returning to Meadow Lane from Forest Green Rovers in October last year.

Hardy also mentioned that Notts are vying to sign two "highly valued players" on loan, one of which is also on the radar of League One leaders Wigan Athletic.

“We’re in close negotiations with a couple of players to bring a couple of players in on loan,” he told the Nottingham Post.

“It’s unfair to say who they are at this stage. Wigan are after one of them so it’s between us and them.

“They’re top of League One so we’re working hard to sell Notts County to him. If it comes off it will be really exciting for the fans.

“If not we’ll move on to the next target. The important thing is they’re both highly valued players.

“We’re only going to bring people in who can make a real difference and we think these players can.

“We’re not planning to leave it late. We want to get players in the team and settled in January as opposed to not playing until February.”

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Alan Hardy has described Notts County's FA Cup fourth-round draw against Swansea City or Wolverhampton Wanderers at Meadow Lane as "the next best thing" to a Premier League giant.

The draw was made on Monday evening and the Magpies were handed a home tie against the winner of the game between the top-flight's bottom side or the Championship's runaway leaders.

“We were hoping for the big plum tie against a top six Premier League side away from home,” Hardy is quoted by the Nottingham Post as saying.

“We’ve got the next best thing. After the game on Saturday, Kevin Nolan said he just wanted a tie at Meadow Lane, so he’s delighted.

“I think it’s a great opportunity whoever we play. Swansea are bottom of the Premier League fighting for survival, so I doubt they’d play a full strength team.

“We’ve beaten League One and Championship teams already. We’ve got a great chance to beat a Premier League side at our fortress. Don’t forget we’ve lost only once in the last year at home.

“Wolves is a tough proposition. They’re a very good side. They’ll get promoted I’m sure. They’ve spent a lot of money and that team.

“They’re arguably a mid-table Premier League team. They’re very well supported. They’d bring a huge number of fans.”

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Alan Hardy would love to see Notts County get a Premier League top-six team away from home in tonight's FA Cup fourth-round draw.

The Magpies stunned Championship side Brentford at Griffin Park in the third round, Jon Stead's superb curled effort the difference in a 1-0 away win.

Hardy described the victory and the subsequent euphoria as his best result as chairman and looked forward to seeing what the next round would bring.

“This win was right at the top for all sorts of reasons, in terms of the drama, the excitement, the nerve-wracking moments and how tense it was,” he told the Nottingham Post.

“It was unbelievable and I was breathless. It felt like somebody had punched me in the stomach.

“It’s the most memorable result of my time as chairman and it was the biggest game we have had since I came into the club.

“To come to Brentford, a Championship club, and return home with a win was just phenomenal. The players were absolutely sensational – every one of them. It’s unfair to pick anybody out.”

When asked about who he'd like in the fourth round, Hardy replied: “Any of the Premier League top six away from home would be my dream tie.

“It would be nice to give the fans a brilliant day out and it would also give us much-needed pennies in the jar.

“The club has changed phenomenally since we came in and this is just another giant step forward in terms of its development and progress.

“And it would be nice if we could have that rewarded with a fantastic tie in the fourth round.”

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Kevin Nolan has expressed his delight with Jon Stead, describing him as an "unsung hero" for his man-of-the-match performance against Brentford in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

The veteran striker, part of the Bradford City team which shocked Chelsea in the fourth round three years ago, repeated his feat with the winner against the Championship Bees at Griffin Park.

Stead had received some fan flak at times for a number of reasons including a relatively low goal tally, but Nolan was quick to point out his contributions this season.

“Steady’s best performance have been against Scunthorpe, Bristol Rovers and Brentford – all top sides. He has shown how much quality he has,” Nolan told the official Notts site.

“He hasn’t got the goals he would have liked this year but his contributions towards our performances and our success have been vital.

“He’s been magnificent and I’m delighted to be talking about him for once because he becomes an unsung hero.

“Everyone expects him to be all about goals – and he has been – but it’s not been him scoring them, he’s been creating them and had a major influence.”

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Jon Stead has described Notts County's FA Cup third-round 1-0 win over Brentford as "incredible" and was delighted to finally score after cutting in with his left foot.

The veteran striker claimed the winner on Saturday at Griffin Park with a wonderful curling shot after cutting in from the right-hand channel, putting the Magpies in the fourth round of the competition.

Stead was also relieved as he acknowledged his prior attempts to pull off the move over the last 12 months have not quite worked out.

“It’s incredible,” Stead told the official Notts website. “I thought we were terrific from the first minute today and caused them problems.

"We were a little disappointed we didn’t create more with the half-chances we managed to get in the first half. But in the second half we had to start brightly and I think we did that. From kick-off in the second half we looked strong and likely to get that goal.

“I’m delighted with the goal. In the early part of my Notts career I was cutting in a lot on my left foot and producing decent shots and goals. This season and the back end of last season I’ve been spooning a lot of them over the bar so to get it right on this stage was really pleasing.”

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Kevin Nolan has admitted that Notts County were buoyed by the fact Brentford made a host of changes to their line-up and were eager to exploit that in their FA Cup third-round win.

Bees boss Dean Smith made eight changes to the side which lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers in midweek and the team laboured against the Magpies at Griffin Park.

Notts took the lead through Jon Stead's superb curling effort midway through the second half and were able to see the game out for a place in the fourth round.

"They made a lot of changes to their normal line-up and we thought we could exploit that and I'm delighted to say we did," Nolan is quoted by Get West London as saying.

"I don't think the players who came in for them underestimated us, but we knew they might not be as fluent as the usual team.

"The changes hindered them but they are still a very good side and I thought we were worthy winners. Yes, we rode our luck at times but we had a game plan and we stuck to it.

"I was delighted for the fans who were behind us from start to finish. There is a special chemistry at the club right now between the players, and between the players and fans and management, and all of that is working in our favour."

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A delighted Kevin Nolan has praised Notts County's players for overcoming Championship side Brentford 1-0 in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Despite playing two divisions above, the Bees were put to the sword as Jon Stead's superb second-half winner sealed the Magpies' passage to the fourth round of the competition.

The draw for the next round will take place on Monday evening, with the possibility of a leading Premier League side being lined up to face Nolan's high-flyers.

“I am delighted with the performance and it warranted the result,” he told the official Notts site following the win at Griffin Park.

“You have to ride your luck when you come to quality teams and those sides who are above you and we did have that little bit of luck, but when you have the attitude, application and dedication to keep a clean sheet, then you earn it.

“I am delighted for the boys because they have not been given the credit they deserve for what they have done in such a short space of time.

“Hopefully we can continue on that path and I hope they all go away and enjoy this day because they don’t happen very often in your career.

“They are going to experience highs and lows, but this is one of the highs. I am thrilled for every one of them.”

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Alan Hardy has spoken of how Notts County's standing has risen dramatically in the last 12 months and mentioned how an international player was interested in finishing his career at Meadow Lane.

This time last year, the Magpies were all but destined to tumble out of the Football League and perhaps out of business until Hardy completed his takeover and set about restoring the club's infrastructure.

Now Notts sit in the League Two automatic promotion slots and are looking ahead to a FA Cup third-round tie at Championship side Brentford.

In his weekly Nottingham Post column, Hardy wrote: "I’ve been surprised by the amount of action that has already taken place because I presumed it would only become busy in the final few days. It’s certainly much more frenetic than it was last January.

"I have been inundated with players who want to move from a lower club to a bigger club, and vice versa.

"I think the biggest difference is that we are doing incredibly well this season. Players can see the progress we are making and naturally want to be part of that.

"It’s a far cry from 12 months ago when I wrote in a previous column about a player we wanted driving straight past us to join somebody else.

"But when you are second in the league, players and agents know we are looking for a big push for promotion. We are everybody’s target at the moment and it’s like bees round a honeypot.

"One call I took this week literally had me falling off my chair because the player he offered to us was an international who wants to have a swansong in England.

"I thought he had us mixed up with the other Nottingham club because he couldn’t possibly be interested in playing in League Two.

"But he sees the potential here because in two years we could be playing in the Championship. The bottom line was we couldn’t afford him.

"Players see Notts as a club rich in tradition and they want to be part of our history. We have unrivalled history and an incredible future."

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Brentford manager Dean Smith has described the FA Cup third-round tie against Notts County as a "potential banana skin" and has urged caution from his players.

The Bees, currently 11th in the Championship table, go into Saturday's game at Griffin Park against the high-flying Magpies on the back of a 3-0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

“Notts County will be a potential banana skin for us,” Smith told the official Brentford site.

“They will be very tough. They have done fantastically this season. They have good, experienced players, we have to make sure there is no complacency and play to our strengths.

“We will patch the players up (following the busy festive period) as best we can for Saturday and we have others wanting minutes. We will go in to the game to try and win it.

"We will make some changes but that is more to do with players being spent after what they have put in over the past four games.”

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Kevin Nolan has described the FA Cup third-round fixture at Brentford as "a fantastic tie" and has stressed that Notts County will be eager to cause an upset at Griffin Park.

The Magpies navigated their way through two tricky ties to reach round three, where they will be up against the Bees, who ply their trade in the Championship.

Nolan admitted that the draw may have been deemed somewhat underwhelming by a proportion of the Notts fanbase but he insists he is looking forward to the encounter.

“A lot of people groaned when they came out of the hat, but you can’t because these moments don’t come around too often,” he told the Nottingham Post.

“Some of these players may never ever play against a Championship side or I may not be able to pit my wits against one either.

“It’s about taking opportunities and hopefully we can continue to do what we have been doing and get a positive result.

“For me it’s a fantastic tie because it will give the players a chance to face players a couple of leagues above and I am really looking forward to it.

“The pressure is all on them to get into the next round, while we can go into the game with an air of confidence given what we have achieved in the league so far.

“We will respect Brentford, the way they play and how they are. They have a lot of good, quality, players.

“But we are not going there to roll over. We will have a go and try to cause an upset and I always fancy our chances.

“We want to be the team everybody is talking about come Saturday at 5pm.

“But we know it’s not going to be easy. We will have to ride our luck because their quality will shine through at some point.

“It’s how we handle that which will be key. And for me it’s great to pit my wits against a Championship team and manager.

“It will be the first time in my managerial career and I can’t wait for the game to come around.”

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Liam Noble has stressed that his "head is in the right place now" as he prepares to begin his second spell at Notts County.

The midfielder was known as somewhat of a loose cannon in his first spell at Meadow Lane due to his temper and tendency to accumulate cards.

Noble then left for Forest Green Rovers in 2016 helping them reach the Football League, before leaving the club earlier this year and joining the Magpies again.

Now that the transfer window is open again, Noble has been registered as a Notts player and is eligible to start against Brentford in the FA Cup this weekend.

"It's been a long wait but an enjoyable one," he told the official site. "The lads are a great bunch and they have made it easy for me - I have bedded in quite well.

"I played a game against Leicester recently and got 90 minutes under my belt so I'm feeling really good. I'm raring to go. Hopefully I can make the squad on Saturday.

"There will always be that question about my temperament and the red cards but last season I didn't get sent off and I played almost 50 games.

"My head is in the right place now. I have settled down family-wise and I am much more mature.

"But I still have the cutting edge, the bite and the fire to want to win, like any player does. I just know how to control it more."

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What's been happening in League Two over the last week?

Here is Pride of Nottingham's round-up of the biggest League Two news from the last seven days.

- Port Vale have signed striker Dior Angus from non-league Redditch United, manager Neil Aspin has confirmed.

- Lincoln City have signed Ipswich winger Danny Rowe on loan until the end of the season.

- Forest Green Rovers may make four more signings before their next match, according to owner Dale Vince.

- Brighton winger Jordan Maguire-Drew has joined side Coventry City on loan until the end of the season, subject to Premier League clearance.

- Colchester United have signed striker Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe and winger Ryan Gondoh from non-league side Maldon & Tiptree on 18-month deals.

- Steve Perryman is to retire as Exeter City's director of football. The 66-year-old will leave in May and end what will be a 15-year association with the Grecians.

- Cheltenham Town have extended Bristol City duo Taylor Moore and Joe Morrell's loan deals until the end of the season.

- Newport County have signed striker Aaron Collins on loan until the end of the season from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

- Morecambe have extended the loan of central defender Max Muller from Wycombe Wanderers until the end of the season.

- Luton Town manager Nathan Jones has signed a new four-year deal with the League Two leaders.

- Chesterfield have signed forward Zavon Hines and brought in Millwall defender Sid Nelson on loan until the end of the season.

- Accrington Stanley have signed defender Jimmy Dunne on loan from Premier League side Burnley until the end of the season.

- Forest Green's Charlie Cooper and his father Mark – the club's manager – were sent off during the game at home to Wycombe Wanderers on New Year's Day.

- Meanwhile, Yeovil Town's NYD game with Crawley was held up for more than 10 minutes on Saturday when a drone appeared over Huish Park.

- Ipswich Town winger Danny Rowe has joined high-flyers Lincoln City on loan for the rest of the season.

(All news sourced from BBC Sport and Sky Sports)

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Kevin Nolan has stressed that Notts County will not be "held to ransom" this transfer window.

The Magpies have impressed over the course of the season but many fans believe there is need for reinforcements in the squad to build on their current second-placed position in the table.

A striker is thought to be the main priority and, although Nolan says he's open to bringing in one or more new additions, they will not be "going stupid" for the cause.

“It’s about making sure we do the right business and if somebody whets are appetite then we will have a look,” the gaffer told the Nottingham Post. “But we will not be silly or going stupid. We are not going to be held to ransom over anybody.

“We know what we want and what we need. And, if the right players comes up, I am sure the management team, the boss and the board can then come to an agreement to keep the club moving in the right direction – which is moving forward.”

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