WHEN he first arrived at Nottingham Forest back in 1998, Nick Marshall immediately found himself overseeing an immensely talented group of young players. As assistant academy director under Paul Hart, Marshall was working with a collection of teenagers that was brimming with potential, including Andy Reid and Marlon Harewood, among many others.

Now, after more than a decade in charge of the academy in his own right, life, in one sense, has gone full circle for Marshall.

But, while Reid and Harewood have both recently returned to the club at the opposite end of their playing careers, Forest's academy director has lost none of his enthusiasm or passion for the job.

While he clearly takes immense pride in the players he has helped to bring through the ranks into the first team at the City Ground, Marshall seems most comfortable when heaping praise on his current crop of young players, rather than accepting any plaudits of his own for any part he might have played in the past.

Although there is certainly plenty of motivation for that.

Over the past few weeks, Forest have recorded two remarkable results, hammering Wigan 9-1 and Southampton 5-1 in the FA Youth Cup, to earn themselves a place in the quarter-final.

And Marshall believes the current group of under-18s have as much potential as any of their predecessors.

"It was interesting to see Reidy and Marlon at the front end of their careers and then towards the back end now, after they came back to the club," said Marshall.

"My first year with Forest was Reidy's first year, when he first came over as a schoolboy. Marlon was an under-18 at that stage as well.

"Time does go quickly, I can tell you. It is frightening.

"But, looking to the future, I think it is a good crop of players we have coming through, I have been saying that for a couple of years now.

"It does stand out and I always felt this current group was going to produce some really top players. I am still of that opinion.

"We have produced some disappointing team performances in the league, but that has not really changed my opinion when it comes to believing there are some good players here.

"The vast majority of these kids who played the other night have been here for a long, long time, so we know them inside out. They have a lot of potential."

The one player grabbing the headlines currently is striker Patrick Bamford, who netted nine of the goals in the two matches, as well as providing three assists.

The 18-year-old – who is interesting Chelsea – has appeared as a substitute for the first team over the New Year period. And Marshall says he deserved the opportunity.

"He has got nine goals in two games and, to be fair to him, three of the assists in the first game were his as well," he said. "He is clearly getting lots of plaudits for the right reasons. He deserves them.

"But he is not the only one, because the rest of the team are the ones who are creating many of the chances for him in the first place.

"They are also the ones who are keeping the opposition out, particularly against Southampton, who are a side who have scored a lot of goals.

"They beat Sheffield United, who got to the final last season, by seven goals, in a previous round.

"He is sticking the ball in the back of the net at one end and the team is working hard at the other end to keep the opposition out, so it is a pretty potent mix."

Defender Jamaal Lascelles has also attracted headlines, with Arsenal showing an interest in his progression.

Lascelles, like Bamford, has trained with the first team – while manager Steve Cotterill this week admitted there are other young players in his thoughts as well.

And Marshall insists it is vital that Forest's youngsters know there is a pathway available to them, into first team football.

"The next step for them is to be cementing a place in the team," he said. "Hopefully that will come along in the near future.

"And hopefully the rest of the boys will see that happen, because it is important.

"We have had other groups with good players in there, but they need to see there is a route through.

"Otherwise, you can feel like you are banging your head against a brick wall, you lose motivation and you lose players. That is really frustrating, obviously."

Marshall believes the advent of financial fair play – and the tightening of budgets that should come with it – will see more young players given a chance to shine.

"It should give young players more chance, all around the country. I hope it will," he said.

"People are less prepared to take risks (on young players) when they can go out and buy experienced, more senior players.

"But sometimes something has to give. Somebody has to give Wayne Rooney a chance or Theo Walcott or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

"If that happens, hopefully it will not just be better for Forest, but also for English football in general.

"We have a reputation for bringing young players through and that is important.

"For the financial future of the club it is probably important that it continues.

"But, even if we were well off financially, if we can bring players through of the quality that we have done in the past, it will only help.

"It will be a massive benefit in the long term."

Forest will face either West Ham or Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup, probably some time towards the end of February.

And, while they will be the underdogs, Marshall has faith in the ability of his players to cause another upset.

"Both clubs – and particularly Chelsea – put a lot more money into their youth set-up than we do," he said.

"Chelsea are just operating on a different level altogether. They put between £5m and £6m into their set-up every year.

"West Ham, likewise, will probably spend two or three times the amount that we do – and also have a reputation for bringing players through.

"But we have beaten West Ham in recent years, in the Youth Cup and we have beaten Chelsea in a pre-season game as well.

"We will be the underdogs, but we believe we have a chance.

"If we play well – and we will all need to – we can give anyone a game.

"If all 11 players are at the top of their game, we can be a match for anyone."

Forest currently sit at the foot of the under-18 League table. But, as Marshall explains, the Cup is perhaps a better barometer of their potential.

"Cup competitions are the blue riband event in youth football, it is not like it is in senior football," he said."The cups are not a side issue, unlike at first team level, perhaps.

"In the league, you use games to look at different players, to try things out. You can win the league, if you like, by playing your oldest team and bullying sides.

"In the FA Cup, you are restricted to playing under-18s and everyone puts their best possible teams out.

"It has taken us a long time to get all our players together, fit and not on international duty.

"Before, we have had players away with their countries or with the first team.

"And two of our key players, in Jamaal Lascelles and Kieron Wallace – who both play for England – have been injured.

"That Cup competition came at a good time for us, because everyone has suddenly been back together and fit.

"It is nice to have a run in a competition that a lot of people pay attention to."

And Marshall hopes plenty of people will be paying attention when it comes to the quarter-final tie at the City Ground.

"It would be nice to get a few fans there," he said.

"I went to the final at Sheffield United last season, when they filled the stadium. And, in the return leg, they took 8,000 fans to Old Trafford.

"For us, this is a quarter-final game, so we are not going to get anything like that. But it would be nice to get a few thousand people down there, at the City Ground.

"It would be good for the kids; a good part of their development.

"Reserve football is not quite what it used to be and the chance to play on a big stage is a good taste of what they might – might – experience in the future, if they keep working hard."

And, from Forest's point of view, the club will be hoping it is not the last time that these young players do take the chance to shine on the bigger stage.