“Things didn’t go as planned” – Player says Nottingham Forest ruined his Premier League dream
Odysseas Vlachodimos admits his move to Nottingham Forest didn’t go as he had hoped.
The goalkeeper joined the Premier League club aiming to achieve his top-flight ambitions. In late August 2023, Forest spent around €4.9 million to sign him from Benfica, where he had spent five successful years.
During his time in Lisbon, Vlachodimos played 225 games, kept 94 clean sheets, conceded 217 goals, and won two titles. At the time of his transfer, he felt confident that moving to Forest was the right step: “I thought the timing was right for me to take the next step, and that step was the Premier League. I wanted to play in the best league in the world, and I had given a lot to Benfica, so it felt like the right moment to leave.”
Frustration at Nottingham Forest
In April, speaking to Greece’s Athletiko (reported by O Jogo), the 31-year-old reflected on his decision to leave Benfica: “After five years at Benfica, I wanted a new challenge, and the Premier League is every kid’s dream. Other teams had shown interest before, but the transfer didn’t happen. Things didn’t go as I had planned, but it helped me grow into the goalkeeper I am today at Sevilla.”
He also revealed issues with his contract at Benfica: “The renewal came seven months late. It should have happened after I decided not to leave the previous year. But Rui Costa knew that if an opportunity from England came, I would want to go.”
Performance at Nottingham Forest
Vlachodimos joined Forest under manager Steve Cooper and played 660 minutes across seven matches, conceding 16 goals and keeping just one clean sheet. Five of those games were league matches under Cooper. When Nuno Espírito Santo replaced Cooper in December 2023, Vlachodimos was largely ignored and was left out of the squad for the final 14 league matches.
He moved to Newcastle United in July 2024 but struggled for playing time, leading to a season-long loan to Sevilla in August 2025. That move has been successful, though the Spanish club cannot afford to make the deal permanent.
