Steve Cooper was head coach of Nottingham Forest from 21 September 2021 to 19 December 2023.

Born in Pontypridd, Wales, Cooper played as a defender for several Welsh sides including Bangor City, while also studying for his coaching badges.

After becoming one of the youngest coaches to obtain his UEFA Pro License, aged 27, Cooper went on to take charge of Wrexham and then Liverpool's academies.

In 2014, he was appointed manager of the England Under-16s, before going on to the Under-17s a year later.

He led them to the final of the 2017 UEFA European Championship, where they were beaten by Spain, but in October of that year, they avenged their loss with a 5-2 victory over the Spaniards in the FIFA Under-17 World Cup final.

Cooper joined Swansea City in June 2019, guiding them to the playoff final in 2020/21, where they lost out to Brentford at Wembley Stadium in his second and final season at the helm.

In his first campaign at Forest, Cooper took the club from the bottom of the table and ended their 23-year exile from the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Huddersfield Town in the Championship playoff final.

In Forest's first season back in the Premier League, Cooper led them to a 16th-placed finish, beating Liverpool and Arsenal along the way. 

Cooper was relieved of his duties with Forest sitting 17th in the table following a six-match winless run midway through the 2023/24 season.