Cunningham joins Forest on loan

Soccer: Nottingham Forest have signed Manchester City and Republic of Ireland defender Greg Cunningham on loan until the end of the year.

Manager Steve Cotterill moved for the 20-year-old left-back after Clint Hill was recalled from his loan spell by QPR.

Cunningham joined City from Mervue United in Galway in 2007 and has made five substitute appearances, while he also had a spell on loan with Leicester last season.

Cotterill told www.nottinghamforest.co.uk: “Left-backs are very difficult to come by and although he’s only a young player I think he’s got a good future ahead of him.

“They have a big squad of players at City which allowed him to go out on loan and we’re delighted to have him.”

Giovanni Trapattoni will also be pleased with the move, as he continues his search for a long-term successor to Kevin Kilbane.

Cunningham impressed there when he debuted for Ireland against Algeria in 2010, prior to north Africans’ World Cup campaign, and he then made an appearance off the bench in the 1-0 friendly defeat to Argentina in August that year.

After starting the final international of 2010 against Norway, he fractured his tibia in January 2011 and was ruled out for the remainder of the season.

In his absence, Wolves utility man Stephen Ward has benefited but Trapattoni will welcome the competition for a problem position, especially if his side manage to overcome Estonia in next month’s Euro 2012 play-offs and make the finals in Poland and Ukraine next summer.