SEAN O'Driscoll has told Brendan Moloney he can pin down a regular first-team place at Nottingham Forest – but warned him that he needs to if he is to have a long-term future at the club.
The defender has started the last two games for the Reds and put in a man-of-the-match performance in the 1-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
But the 23-year-old, who was a product of the City Ground youth academy, is out of contract in the summer.
And O'Driscoll says the challenge for the Irishman is to finally make the step up from being a squad player to being an integral part of the side.
"He is a great lad, he has been terrific for the club and I have no qualms about playing him. I have never said to myself 'oh no, we have to play Brendan'," said O'Driscoll.
"He can play right-back or left-back, he has even played at centre-back in the past. He is a 100 per cent man and you need players like that in your squad to get your balance right.
"He needs to play and he has never played that much. He is out of contract in the summer so he needs to nail down a place here as a regular and then we will see what happens.
"He does not want to be a bit-part player. He trains really well, he works hard and I never have any issues about putting him in."
O'Driscoll says Moloney needs to learn that it is OK to have a harsh word with your team-mates when it is required.
"It is up to Brendan. He has done well, he has defended really well. His one-on-one defending has always been very good," he said.
"But sometimes he needs to get the message across to the players in front of him, he needs to be telling them to help him out a little bit more. That is a personality thing."
