“I have a year left on my contract at Newcastle. When I saw the reports that said I was out of contract, I had to check with my agent that I did have a year left. It is not as though I am looking at it and thinking that I will go back to Newcastle and try to get back in the team. I am realistic enough to know that, if the current manager is still there, I am not going to be playing. I am not sat here thinking that things might change if he goes – the way I am looking at it is to think that I haven’t played for the club for two years and it is unlikely that I will do again.
“We will see what happens in the summer. I really enjoyed my time at Newcastle. Getting relegated was hard, because it is my home town club and I have a lot of family and friends up there. That was tough to take. In the time I was there, I played a lot of games. It did not end too well. But that happens with football. It is one of those things that is out of the blue. But you move on. I had the chance to come here and it was nice to have a full season; I feel as though I have done okay. My confidence has come back a little bit. It is tough when you get asked questions, because it is tough to answer them sometimes, because you really don’t know.
“If you ask me if I would like to come back and sign permanently, the answer is yes. It is not as easy as that in football. Forest themselves have to commit to a permanent deal. Then you have to work out that deal. It is not as straightforward as a yes or no. But I have enjoyed my time here and, if the opportunity arose, it is one I would view positively, with good thought. There is a human aspect as well. My family and kids are down here, they are at school down here and they really enjoy it.
“That was a big issue of mine when I first came. Do I bring the kids and take them out of school where they are happy and comfortable? It was a choice we made when I came down and I am glad I did it, because they have done great here. You don’t want to be changing them again, because they have settled, they have friends and they are enjoying it here. It is something you can only look at when you know what the options in front of you are. At this minute I do not want to know what they are.”