Billy Davies tells Lewis McGugan 'clean your boots and get ready for action' at Nottingham Forest

BILLY Davies has told Lewis McGugan to clean his boots, get a good meal or two inside him and get ready for action.

The Nottingham Forest manager has told the midfielder he can expect to play a large part in the rest of the season.

And, rather than warning McGugan that he needs to get himself into shape, as he had done during his previous tenure as boss, Davies has told the 24-year-old that he needs to GAIN weight, after taking his latest fitness drive too far.

McGugan last started a game on December 8 last year as Forest beat Burnley and has made only ten starts and six sub appearances in the Championship this season, after finding himself out of favour under both Sean O'Driscoll and Alex McLeish.

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But he has been putting in extra work in training in an effort to win back his place.

Now, following Davies' return, it seems he is likely to get his chance, perhaps even as Bolton visit the City Ground today.

"I have spoken to him. I have told him to polish his boots," said Davies. "He has a lot of talent. He is still a young player.

"He still has to understand what the game is all about. Has the penny dropped with him? I will tell you in 15 games time.

"He is certainly a thinner Lewis McGugan.

"In fact, he is probably too thin. Sometimes you can go too far and I think he maybe has.

"You can lose some of your power and we need to talk to him about that.

"But I have already told him to make sure his boots are polished, because he will need them.

"He will be using them between now and the end of the season."

McGugan had his most successful spell of his Forest career under Davies, scoring 13 goals in 2010/11, largely from a position out wide.

And Davies still believes that could be his most potent position, saying: "I took a bit of stick for playing him wide on the left.

"But, in that position, he scored the most goals and created the most goals for Forest.

"I told him not to believe what people have to say about it.

"I believe he is a player who can play in a number of positions.

"The position he played in, he had the best stats of his career. If that is not doing something right, what is?"