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Nigel Clough had two separate spells as a Nottingham Forest player

Nottingham Forest have made an approach to Burton Albion to speak with former player Nigel Clough in relation to their managerial vacancy.

Clough, 50, played more than 300 games for the Reds over two spells, the first of which came under his father Brian.

He is in his second spell in charge of Burton, returning in December 2015 and guiding the Brewers to promotion to the Championship last season.

Forest sacked previous boss Philippe Montanier on 14 January.

Burton are three places below Forest, who are 19th and five points above the relegation zone, in the Championship.

Forest said they would not comment when contacted by BBC Radio Nottingham, as did Burton when asked for a response by BBC Radio Derby.

Clough referenced the speculation that has linked him with a move to Forest since Montanier's departure at the City Ground in his most recent press conference.

"It's an easy link and a logical one from lots of points of view," Clough told BBC Radio Derby on Wednesday.

"All these sort of allegiances you have and everything, yeah they're strong, but in football people go to rivals all the time.

"It's very difficult when you spent 18 years - I'm just over 50 years old - so a third of my life involved with a certain club [Nottingham Forest]."

Despite his links to Forest, Clough has never managed the club since ending his playing career.

His popularity among supporters dimmed only during spells as manager of traditional rivals Derby County and Sheffield United.

However, he was warmly received when he returned with Burton for the opening game of the EFL season in August, which Forest won 4-3.

Much more than a 'Daddy's boy'

Nigel Clough scores for Forest against Luton in the 1989 Littlewoods Cup final

Clough may well have been the son of manager Brian during much of his time at Forest, but his contribution definitively ensured there would be no awkwardness within the dressing room or derision from supporters.

Only Grenville Morris has scored more than his 131 goals and was part of a late 1980s generation that made Wembley an almost annual spring stop-off.

He scored twice in the 1989 League Cup final win against Luton, the club's first trophy in just under a decade, while his vision and skill made him the perfect foil to strikers including Lee Chapman, Nigel Jemson and Teddy Sheringham and won him England honours.

When his father left the club at the end of a miserable 1992-93 season which ended in relegation from the top division, Nigel departed to join Liverpool after nine years of service - only to return on loan in an unsuccessful short-term bid to keep Forest in the top flight in 1996-97.