ANDY Reid is one of those players who seems to attract the automatic prefix 'veteran' every time he is mentioned in the media.
Given that he only celebrated his 30th birthday a few weeks ago, that must rankle with the Irishman, who is hardly in the twilight of his career.
But the veteran moniker is probably more due to his longevity than his age.
Because, in November, it will be 12 years since the winger made his debut in English football, with Nottingham Forest, as a fresh faced youngster.
But, rather than being ready to wind down, Reid's appetite seems to be as fierce as ever.
Don't be mistaken, that is not a reference to suggestions that Reid has struggled to maintain match fitness in the past.
Quite the opposite in fact. Because, when a new era kicked-off under Sean O'Driscoll and new Kuwaiti owners, Reid must have been within a few pounds of the weight he was when he made his debut at the City Ground, all those years ago.
A summer of intense hard work has left Reid in good shape. And it has been reflected on the pitch where the increasingly sprightly winger has been integral to an encouraging start to the campaign.
Reid's motivation, he says, is to provide some payback to the club that set him on his way more than a decade ago.
Having come through the Forest academy under Paul Hart, Reid went on to play in the Premier League with Tottenham, Charlton, Sunderland and Blackpool.
He was lured back to Forest a year ago by the desire to restore the fortunes of the club that gave him his first chance.
"The people who work in the offices, the kit man – everyone has a role to play in making this a good place to be," said Reid, who is almost certain to be in the starting line-up as Forest face Birmingham City at the City Ground today.
"When I first came here as a youngster, the thing that made me want to sign was the fact that it was such a family club.
"Everyone mucked in for each other. There are people here at this club who helped me out so much when I was young, not just on the playing staff.
"I would love to see the club going in the right direction again, just for people like that.
"I would like to see them enjoy being part of something successful, because they deserve it. I'd like to be part of that myself."
With the club now under the ownership of the Al Hasawi family, there have been big changes on the pitch, with 11 new players drafted in by O'Driscoll. But Reid is happy that, away from the playing squad, little has been altered.
"Credit to the new owners, because it would have been easy for them to change a lot of things," he said.
"When somebody buys a new club, they can do what they want with it. But they have listened to people and I think they realise there are good people involved here.
"There is no question that, right now, Forest is a good place to be."
The capture of Henri Lansbury, Simon Gillett, Adlene Guedioura and James Coppinger has only intensified the fight for places in midfield.
"It keeps you on your toes, which is the way it should be," said Reid. "Last season, there was a team picked and, unless there was an injury or suspension, that would be the team. There was a group of players who would start if they were available.
"There was not much opportunity for some players. Now, our manager is fair. He has been honest with everyone.
"When players have been in and done well, they have stayed in the side. If they have impressed in training, they have been given a chance.
"You cannot ask for any more than that as a player."
It is the same situation in the final third, where the addition of Simon Cox and Billy Sharp has given Forest a front line to match any in the Championship, when you add Dexter Blackstock, Marcus Tudgay and Robbie Findley to the equation.
"We have fantastic strikers at the club. We have Dexter who, when Cox plays off him, looks like it could be a decent partnership," said Reid.
"You need competition for places and we have that now. We have it up front, we have it in midfield and we are starting to have it at the back.
"Tuggy has proved over the years that he can do a good job. He played a lot of matches last season and did really well.
"David McGoldrick (who has joined Coventry on loan) has phenomenal ability. He just needs a chance to shine and perform.
"As well as that, Robbie Findley is a handful whenever he plays.
"We have got great options in the attacking areas and we are getting it in midfield as well.
"You need that in the Championship, you need a decent sized squad. It is important to find the balance between not having too many players and not having enough to keep you ticking over. You need to look at the amount of games you play, often in a short time."
Forest are unbeaten in the Championship so far this season but even the one defeat they have suffered – against Wigan in the Capital One Cup – held plenty of cause for optimism, believes Reid.
"We watched a video of the key points of the game and it was the first time a manager has ever said to any team I have played in 'well done, you played well' after a 4-1 defeat," he said.
"It was a strange thing, but he was right. Some of the goals they scored were fantastic. But, in general play, I thought we matched them. We played some good football and scored a great goal of our own.
"There is a gap between established Premier League clubs and to where we are now. We are still building.
"When an established Premier League team get half a chance, it is a goal.
"It is important that we always take positives from things. There are obviously things we knew we could work on after that.
"And, as the manager says, we will always be a work in progress.
"We are off to a decent start; we are happy with how we have performed and with the results we have picked up.
"It is only a start, there is still plenty more to work on and plenty more to come."
And, if the first few weeks of the campaign are anything to go by, there is plenty more to come from Reid as well.
