Nottingham Forest: Stan Collymore says 'stardust' is back at the City Ground

Former Nottingham Forest striker Stan Collymore said it felt like the "stardust was back" at the City Ground as they stunned Leicester City in the FA Cup fourth round.

Holders Leicester were thrashed 4-1 by a Forest side 18 places below them in the football pyramid.

"You can forget the big clubs that have been in the Championship for a while like Forest," Collymore said.

"But it really feels as if the stardust and magic is back."

Former Leicester, Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Collymore scored 41 goals in two seasons with Forest between 1993 and 1995, and helped the club gain promotion to the top flight.

"New manager Steve Cooper wants to take a step forward rather than back and the Forest faithful really appreciate that," Collymore told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"There's been a number of difficult years with different managers and different styles. But something more like the Forest way is back at the City Ground again."

Since being appointed in September with Forest bottom of the Championship, Cooper has taken his side up to eighth and has now led them to the FA Cup fifth round for only the second time in 17 years.

They sit just two points off the play-offs and the more optimistic of supporters could be forgiven for dreaming of a return to the top flight after 22-and-a-half seasons away.

"The plan should be for Nottingham Forest to get into the Premier League sooner rather than later," added Collymore, who currently works as a senior football strategist for another of his former clubs Southend United.

"It's painfully simple in some respects, if you have the right people with the right qualifications and ideas.

"But it doesn't always happen, because the Championship is a really competitive league."

Forest will take on fellow Championship side Huddersfield Town in the fifth round in March.