The American offered a glimpse into his skillset against Wolves – so could he be the key for Nuno Espirito Santo in the coming weeks?

It was one kick of the ball, but, sometimes, one kick of the ball can create a mighty big moment. That's all Gio Reyna has been searching for since joining Nottingham Forest: a moment. All he's needed is one real chance to create something.

That chance presented itself on Saturday. For the first time since signing with Forest on loan in January, Reyna was given a spot in the starting XI. It was now up to him to make the most of it; this was his chance to prove he deserved to be there all along.

And that brings us to that one kick of a ball. Reyna's assist for Morgan Gibbs-White's goal from a corner kick was a small glimpse into what he can do. He's shown plenty of those glimpses with the U.S. men's national team. At his best, Reyna is a game-changer, a creator, a difference-maker. That's exactly what Forest need right now: someone who can make the difference. As they battle relegation, the margins will be small. A point or two may be all that separates them from a Premier League stay or Championship doom.

Heading into the final weeks of the season, then, Reyna can be the difference-maker. It hasn't quite happened yet, but if it's going to happen for him at Forest, it's going to have to happen now.

GettySecond-season syndrome

Heading into the club's second season back in the Premier League, Forest took a more measured approach. It was hard not to, to be fair. Heading into their first season back, they'd signed a whopping 19 first-team players. No club could afford that kind of overhaul again.

The likes of Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi were brought to bring life to the attack, USMNT star Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos were signed to compete in goal, while Argentinian international Nicolas Dominguez was added to the midfield.

It didn't take long for it all to go wrong, though. In December, having won just three of the club's first 17 Premier League games, the club parted ways with Steve Cooper, the manager that had guided them this far. In his place, the club brought in ex-Tottenham and Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Sancho to right the ship.

It hasn't happened. Since two big wins over Newcastle and Manchester United in December, Forest have won just twice in 13 games, meaning they were in a relegation battle even before they were deducted four points for breaching the Premier League's financial rules.

As things stand, Forest are just one point clear of Luton Town, who sit in the final relegation berth. The optimist would say that Forest have given themselves a chance at survival, while the pessimist would say they've struggled to get out of this race to the bottom.

Whichever way you look at it, though, Forest have known for some time that they needed help, which is why they took a swing in January to sign Reyna.

AdvertisementGettyReyna's rough campaign

While Forest were dealing with difficult moments in the Premier League, Reyna was doing the same in Germany. Reduced to being a substitute last season, Reyna wasn't even that during the first half of Borussia Dortmund's campaign as he struggled to see the field much in the Bundesliga.

Come January, Reyna was linked with moves all over Europe. It had been clear that his situation at Dortmund wasn't going to improve and that a fresh start was needed. The only question was whether that fresh start would be in Spain, France, Italy or England.

In the end, Forest won out, signing the American on loan for the second half of the Premier League season. For the first few months of the deal, though, Reyna was played even less than at Dortmund. In total, he played 90 minutes between six appearances between February 4 and April 7.

For Forest's match against Wolves on April 13, though, Reyna was named to the starting XI for the first time, giving him his first real chance to prove his worth at his new club.

Long-awaited opportunity

Social media was abuzz the moment Forest's line up was revealed. There was Reyna. Finally, he'd been named to Nuno's XI.

Forest, as they have many times this year, went behind in the first half, thanks to a fine individual effort from Matheus Cunha. But, just a few moments later, Forest struck back, with Reyna at the heart of it.

After a Forest shot was blocked out for a corner, Reyna stepped up to deliver. His ball into the box swung right onto the head of Gibbs-White, who made no mistake with his header at the near post. It was 1-1, and Reyna had notched his first assist.

That proved to be the best moment of what was a tidy performance from the attacking midfielder. Reyna wasn't spectacular, but he was solid. He's not as pacey as the man he replaced in the line up, Anthony Elanga, but as he proved with his corner-kick delivery, Reyna offered something special to the attack.

GettyNuno's take

When asked about Reyna throughout his spell at the City Ground, Forest boss Nuno has generally been non-committal, and that hasn't changed even after this past weekend's assist. The Portuguese manager was once again asked about Reyna after the American's display, and while he offered praise, he didn't offer much of a glimpse into his plans for the midfielder going forward.

“He played good," the coach said. "He gave us good possession. He had good situations, good passing and finishing. He is a good option for us and different to what we have normally. He did okay.”