Former Nottingham Forest striker Connor Brown has returned to Lincoln City on trial after being released by the Championship outfit.
The 19-year-old featured in the Imps’ recent pre-season friendly at Ashby Avenue as one of three unnamed trialists in the starting eleven.
Imps Hand Former Youth Prospect a Second Chance
Brown, who was originally part of Lincoln’s academy setup, left the club in 2021 to join East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest. Over the next four years, he progressed through the ranks at the City Ground, enjoying particular success in the U18 Premier League where he netted 19 times—a strike rate of nearly one goal every two games.
Despite that early promise, the step up to senior development football proved more difficult. Last season, the forward featured sparingly in Premier League 2, registering just 76 minutes of action. He was an unused squad member in the majority of Forest’s EFL Trophy campaign, save for an eight-minute cameo away at Morecambe.
There was at least one standout moment: Brown found the net in Forest B’s 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the opening match of the Premier League International Cup. The side would go on to win the competition, though Brown remained on the periphery of the campaign.
Following his release this summer, Brown was among a number of young players let go as part of Forest’s end-of-season squad restructuring. Craig Mulholland, Head of Football Development & Talent Management at the City Ground, said the club remained proud of the departing players.
“All of the staff at the club wish the lads well, and it is so pleasing to see so many already signed up and continuing their professional careers elsewhere,” said Mulholland. “Alex Bailey, and his excellent well-being and player care team, will now stay in touch with all of the lads to ensure that they continue to receive all the care and help they require on the next exciting step in their careers.”
That next step could come back at his first footballing home. Brown’s inclusion in Michael Skubala’s pre-season squad signals Lincoln City’s intent to reassess the talent that once slipped through their grasp. With the Imps looking to strengthen their attacking depth for the 2025/26 League One campaign, the teenager may yet earn a permanent deal.
Writer’s View
This is a low-risk, high-upside trial that makes a lot of sense for Lincoln. Brown’s goalscoring record at youth level was outstanding, and the fact he found it harder at U21s doesn’t mean he can’t flourish in senior football. Sometimes, players need a familiar environment to reignite their trajectory—and a return to the Imps might just be the restart Brown needs.
