Nottingham Forest’s strong start to the Premier League season should have the Reds once again dreaming of making a return to European competition, says award-winning football writer Henry Winter.

After two seasons battling to avoid relegation, Forest have made a strong start to the campaign under Nuno Espírito Santo and are fifth in the table after 11 matches.

Asked if the two-time European Cup winners could realistically finish high enough to qualify for one of the continental competitions, Winter said the East Midlands club have the pedigree to make it happen.

“If you look at the top of the Premier League table, it’s only Arsenal that haven’t won a Champions League or European Cup. Nottingham Forest have got two of them,” Winter told BBC East Midlands Today.

“I can remember going into the old board room and just seeing the two replica cups up there. I started out covering the tail end of Brian Clough’s career [as Forest manager] and I think European football and Nottingham Forest are not exactly strangers.

“So absolutely, why not? They are expanding the European competitions and Nottingham Forest could completely be in that.”