Skipper McKenna targets promotion

McKenna played almost 500 games for Preston before joining Forest

Nottingham Forest's new captain Paul McKenna insists talent alone will not help the club mount a bid for promotion to the Premier League this season.

McKenna, 31, has been appointed as the new skipper by manager Billy Davies.

"Just buying players doesn't guarantee success. A lot of hard work needs to go on behind the scenes and it has been," McKenna told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"With knowing what's going on, you can only see us going one way and that's the reason I joined."

McKenna signed for Forest for £750,000 in July, after playing 469 times for Preston North End - a club he joined as a 14-year-old.

"The gaffer has made it clear that he wants to be competitive and a club like this should never be at the bottom of the Championship like they were last season," McKenna added.

"To be at the other end challenging for the Premier League is where this club wants to be."

McKenna was captain under Davies as Preston reached the Championship play-offs in 2005 and 2006, and the former Derby manager thinks that McKenna is the perfect man to lead Forest's push for promotion.

"Paul is an outstanding captain and leader and he will take care of things on the pitch," Davies said.

"He's a good communicator but he's a nasty little so-and-so as well, not only with the opposition but also with his own team-mates when they are not doing jobs properly."

Forest begin their campaign with a trip to Reading on Saturday.