Strasbourg president Marc Keller has explained why the club let key man Matz Sels move to Nottingham Forest and hailed the goalkeeper for his behaviour.
Premier League side Forest were in the market for a new goalkeeper as the clock ticked down on the winter transfer window.
They eventually found their man in 31-year-old Sels, with a deal done with Strasbourg to take him to the City Ground.
Strasbourg were not keen to lose the goalkeeper, but Keller thinks they owned it to Sels to let the move happen due to his service to the club, having been on the books since 2018.
Keller explained that Sels was keen to meet the challenge of the Premier League and performed in a thoroughly professional manner.
“Someone who has been loyal, someone who has given six years of his life to the club, you have to listen to the player and Matz deserved to have one last challenge”, Keller was quoted as saying by Maxifoot.
“Afterwards, things accelerated. I spoke with the agent. We had a meeting with the player the next morning.
“He was an exemplary captain for us. For me, he is one of the legends of our club. We also extended with him two years ago.
“In the discussion I had with Matz and Loic Desire, our recruitment manager, we felt that Matz wanted a new challenge, in particular to succeed in the Premier League.
“He told us he really wanted to go there to take on one last very important challenge in his playing career.
“I was his president for six years. We brought him in, we extended him. He has always been exemplary.
“I felt that at almost 32 years old, when someone has provided all these services for the club, the club should behave correctly and open the door.”
Sels, who had a spell with Newcastle United earlier in his career, will now look to quickly nail down the number 1 spot at Nottingham Forest.
He may also hope that good displays in the Premier League further his ambitions at international level with Belgium.
