When Nottingham Forest concluded the 2023-24 Premier League season in 17th place - just one spot above the relegation zone - few could have predicted the levels Nuno Espirito Santo's side would reach in the following campaign.

With under a quarter of the top-flight season remaining, Forest remain well placed to secure a Champions League place and can take a further step in that direction when they go to Tottenham on Easter Monday.

They also have an FA Cup semi-final with seven-time winners Manchester City at Wembley to look forward to on April 27.

It represents a remarkable achievement for a club that - for the second year running - narrowly avoided relegation back into the Championship last time out, particularly after being docked points for breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules.

And one man in particular has become an increasingly vital figure in Forest's sensational turnaround.

After spells in and out of the starting 11, Neco Williams played from the outset against Ipswich in late November, with boss Nuno saying: "Neco did amazing with the national team so had that momentum."

After being left on the bench for the following fixture against Manchester City, Williams has gone on to make 18 successive Premier League starts - the best run of his top-flight career.

Craig Bellamy would undoubtedly agree with Nuno that Williams has been nothing short of magnificent with Wales.

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The versatile full-back is one of only four players - Sorba Thomas, Joe Rodon and Ben Davies being the others - to feature in all eight games under Bellamy so far.

He also joins Swansea academy duo Rodon and Davies in being one of just three men to play every single minute under the man who replaced Rob Page last year.

Speaking ahead of the March international camp, Bellamy said of Williams: "He's been really impressive, even how he played against Mo Salah a couple of months ago was one of the best I've seen a full-back up against him.

"He's been outstanding (for Forest), but he's also been outstanding for us with how positive he is in his play.

"With his quality and being versatile, the flexibility he has is huge for how we go about it."

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As Bellamy highlights, Williams has not merely operated in a range of roles for both club and country, he has largely excelled in doing so.

He has two league assists to his name this season and netted his first home Premier League goal for Forest in his side's 7-0 thrashing of Brighton in February.

Williams had the brutal misfortune of having his penalty saved in a shoot-out at Brighton last month, although Forest emerged victorious 4-3 on spot-kicks to progress into the semi-final of the FA Cup for the first time in 34 years.

Having just turned 24 years of age, Williams has already garnered a remarkable amount of experience.

He has earned 46 caps for his country, featuring at two major international tournaments in doing so while he recently reached 100 appearances for Nottingham Forest having moved to The City Ground from Liverpool in the summer of 2022 for around £17m.

READ MORE: Nottingham Forest Neco Williams

Williams will continue to be an integral figure under Bellamy this year as Wales aim to qualify for next year's World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

And while his two current managers have waxed lyrical about his qualities, Williams himself knows he is reaping the rewards from being a key cog for both club and country.

"Luckily for me at the minute I'm doing really well for my club and also for my country," he told the BBC last month.

"I'm just getting more confidence as each game comes by. I'm coming into camp with the most confidence I've probably ever had."

A confident Neco Williams can only be a plus for Bellamy and Nuno as both bosses continue to keep the Cefn Mawr star in the limelight in their respective quests to achieve further success over the coming months and years.