Jack Colback is slowly rebuilding career and has an important role to play under Chris Hughton

Across the international break and beyond, NUFC writer Sean McCormick has collated a series of articles looking back on the players who’ve left Newcastle recently (either permanently or on loan), as well as players they were linked with, and subsequently missed out on, to see how they have fared since then.

Chronicle Live has spoken to an expert on their new or current club to get the lowdown on how they have performed so far this season, as well as analysing their time and/or chances at Newcastle United.

Today, we take a look at how Jack Colback has fared back at Nottingham Forest after leaving the Magpies on a free transfer.

During his last three seasons on Tyneside, Newcastle was an unwilling home for Jack Colback.

The 31-year-old’s six-year stay at St James’ Park finally came to an end in the summer – over three years after making his last appearance for Newcastle.

After winning promotion to the Premier League in his third season at the club, Colback fell out of favour under Rafa Benitez and was told to find a new club in the summer of 2017.

When Colback failed to do so, he was made to sit out until the January transfer window when he joined Nottingham Forest on loan.

After a successful six-month stay, Colback rejoined the Reds on a season-long loan deal in the summer of 2018 and impressed again in the East Midlands.

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That summer saw Benitez depart Newcastle and new boss Steve Bruce gave the former Sunderland midfielder the chance to impress in pre-season.

Despite doing so, Bruce couldn’t make the room to include Colback in his squad and although Forest were keen to do a deal, they could not afford to match his wages.

Instead, Colback spent the year training with Newcastle with no prospect of playing after not being registered as part of the Magpies’ Premier League squad.

But when his contract expired at Newcastle in the summer, Forest made their move and Colback, finally, had a happy permanent home.

“Colback was brilliant in his two loan spells at Forest,” Sarah Clapson, Nottingham Forest correspondent for Nottingham Live, told Chronicle Live.

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“He was such a key player and consistently performed at a high level.

“Forest were keen to get him back in the summer of 2019 – at least while Martin O’Neill was still in charge.

“It didn’t work out at the time, with his wages believed to be a stumbling block, but it was of little surprise that they went back in for him 12 months later.

“There was a need to strengthen in midfield and he was a free agent after being released. He obviously already knew the club and Forest made it a priority to bring in players with knowledge of the Championship and English football, so he fitted the bill perfectly.”

Forest had narrowly missed out on the Championship’s play-off places last term and Colback’s arrival was understandably well received by supporters.

“Because of how he’d done previously, fans had high hopes he could make a big impact,” Clapson added.

“He was well liked in his previous spells and supporters had been keen for him to come back in 2019, so think many were pleased to see him finally return.

“They knew what they were (hopefully) going to get from him, so it was a move which went down well.”

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However, Colback’s rustiness showed as Forest lost all four of his first matches upon his return. Manager Sabri Lamouchi was sacked and was replaced by former Newcastle boss Chris Hughton.

Since the 61-year-old’s arrival, Forest have lost just once and Colback has played a key part in the revival.

“It’s taken him a while to get going, to be honest,” Clapson explained.

“He’s looked exactly like a man who hadn’t played competitively for a year. Even though he kept himself ticking over in that time, the lack of match sharpness has shown. Shaking off that rust has taken a while.

“Because we know the level he’s capable of playing at, those below-par performances have also been more noticeable.

“That was to be expected, though, and there are signs that he’s getting back to the kind of form he showed before.”

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Colback’s role in the side has not changed but Hughton sees him as an important cog in his system and is ‘delighted’ with the performances of the former Newcastle man.

“Hughton has mostly stuck with a similar system to that used by Sabri Lamouchi, of having two holding midfielders,” Clapson concluded.

“Ryan Yates has often played alongside Colback and has been getting forward more under Hughton.

“Colback hasn’t been doing that so much, but has an important role in helping to shield the back four.”

After the dream of playing for his boyhood club at Newcastle turned into a nightmare, there could well be a happy ending to the Jack Colback story.