Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has opened up on the challenge of adapting to an unfamiliar centre-back role for Nottingham Forest, admitting the position forced him to read the game differently from his usual duties at full-back.
Aina was deployed on the right side of Forest’s three-man defence during their 2-1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa, following injuries to established centre-backs Nikola Milenković and Jair Cunha.
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Although the Nigerian impressed in the role, he admitted the tactical adjustment was far from straightforward.
“It was a bit of a difference, I can’t lie. It was different,” Aina said.
“There was a lot more… I feel like I had to read the game a bit more. That was a bit difficult for me, I can’t lie.”
Aina has built much of his career on versatility, operating at both right-back and left-back, but playing as part of the central defensive unit presented another challenge.
Forest manager Oliver Glasner revealed that the decision came after the club received late confirmation that two centre-backs were unavailable.
Glasner subsequently approached Aina at the team hotel to ask whether he could handle the unfamiliar assignment.
“Especially with Ola, I had to ask him if he can imagine that this could work, and he said I can, and I knew he can,” Glasner explained.
The manager added that he was “really proud” of the performance Aina and his teammates produced despite the circumstances.
Former Forest winger Anthony Elanga was equally impressed, telling Aina: “I think you played that role perfectly.”
For Aina, however, the experience provided another lesson in a career already defined by adaptability.
He may be accustomed to defending from the flanks, but his latest challenge demanded something different — anticipating danger from the heart of the defence and learning to see the game through the eyes of a centre-back.
