Wycombe Wanderers recruit faces battle to prove Nottingham Forest hype | OneFootball

Wycombe Wanderers got a taste of the hype around ex-Nottingham Forest star Fin Back, but he will have to fight to keep his place in the squad.

Wycombe Wanderers gave young defender Fin Back an unexpected debut last Tuesday evening. His excellent performance was the perfect way to endear himself to his new supporters at Adams Park.

Before his move to Wycombe, the defender had already tested himself in the EFL, having had two successful loan spells at Carlisle United in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

However, Back was sadly unable to ever break into Nottingham Forest's first team, which is understandable when you look at the season they've had thus far. This allowed him to join the Chairboys permanently on deadline day, which could prove to be a very shrewd piece of business.

The full-back arrived as an 11th-hour signing on deadline day from Nottingham Forest. Many fans were pleasantly surprised by his arrival, as there was no build-up on social media about his signing and no rumours that a deal could be on the cards.

After a hectic end to the window, it's fair to say Back's move to HP12 went under the radar before he was announced in the lineup to face Bristol Rovers last Tuesday.

Despite being taken off just before the 70-minute mark, Wanderers supporters were left seriously impressed by their new Premier League acquisition. His ability going forward, coupled with excellent awareness defensively, made for a strong debut that he can certainly build upon. But an injury setback and strong performance by Jasper Pattenden on Saturday will mean Back has a tough battle on his hands to start for his new club.

Back was highly-rated at Nottingham Forest

The son of the former England Rugby Union international and British and Irish Lions player, Neil Back MBE, linked up with the former European champions at the age of eight. Back began his career as a midfielder, which ultimately earned him his first professional deal in 2019 after impressing for the under-18s.

Back was seen as a "technically gifted midfielder with an eye for goal" by Forest. However, he would become a more natural full-back later down the line, which is how he would eventually make his move into senior football. His first-team debut for the Reds came in 2021 when he featured for his boyhood club against Bradford City in the Carabao Cup.

2021-22 was a landmark season for Back and his club. The sleeping giants finally made their return to the top flight, following a play-off final triumph over Huddersfield Town at Wembley. The defender made his first senior league appearances for Forest, having three outings in the Championship at just 19 years old.

His impressive rise to the cusp of the first team, coupled with promotion to the Premier League, made Back a target for plenty of EFL clubs for a loan move. Carlisle United won the race to sign the full-back, which was sadly cut short by a hamstring injury, but the youngster had already endeared himself to the supporters, ultimately contributing to their promotion. The popular loanee returned to Blundell Park the following season but was unable to help the newly promoted side remain in League One.

With his parent club thriving in the top flight, minutes were hard to come by for Back. At the age of 22, it was the perfect time for the defender to find a new home, where he could get regular minutes to aid his development. Fortunately, Wycombe offered that chance on deadline day, and the son of the rugby legend got his move.

Solid Back debut offers a great platform for ex-Premier League prospect

Last Tuesday night was an important evening for Mike Dodds and his new Wycombe side. The club had slightly stalled out in their promotion bid, with three draws against sides towards the bottom of the table. The new Wanderers boss was keen to secure his first victory in his first outing at Adams Park.

The side he named was strong, but one name that particularly caught the eye of supporters was Back, who hadn't featured in a matchday squad since his arrival. There had been little talk around his signing, which left some pondering what his involvement in the squad could be.

They would soon learn what a shrewd signing they'd made though, as the 22-year-old was highly impressive on his Chairboys debut. In his 67 minutes, Back displayed his excellent passing ability, with a 72% passing accuracy and playing four balls into the final third.

Defensively, the winter arrival was incredibly solid as well, winning 67% of his tackles, 60% of his ground duels, and 67% of his aerial duels. With three recoveries to his name as well, this rounded off an excellent debut for Back, which he can certainly build upon.

Back faces battle to keep his spot at right-back after injury setback

It's worth noting what an incredibly tough job Dodds has on his hands. Whilst Wycombe are sitting pretty in the automatic promotion places, a strong January window has left the 38-year-old with some serious selection headaches, as Wanderers have so many quality players who could stake a claim in the team.

There are certainly worse headaches to have, but keeping everyone happy in a promotion push, whilst not unsettling the team by making wholesale changes every match, is key. After a strong debut, Back has given the new head coach another position to think about. However, an injury the 22-year-old sustained between the Bristol Rovers and Wigan Athletic matches has opened the door for other players to take that spot.

Pattenden made his long-awaited return to action in Saturday's clash with Wigan, which marked his first minutes in nine weeks. The young defender was also very impressive on his return to action, playing the full 90 minutes and was Fotmob's highest-rated player in Wycombe's squad. After a strong performance from his defensive colleague, Back will face a tough battle to take back that starting spot if Pattenden's fine form continues.

Thankfully, Dodds confirmed that the new signing's injury isn't severe, so hopefully, it won't be long until Back is available for selection once again. After showcasing his talent on his debut, that performance could be key later down the line.

With that in mind, it will be seriously interesting to see who gets the nod from the ex-Sunderland assistant when he has a fully fit squad at his disposal.