Two players have been confirmed as training with the Imps this week, having turned out against Huddersfield Town.
As revealed earlier today by the EFL Hub, one of those trialists is Marcel Lavinier. He is a right back by trade, and a player who came through the Spurs youth setup. We have verified the story with the club, and it is correct – Lavinier is one of the unnamed trialists who recently appeared against the Terriers.
Marcel Lavinier
Marcel out there with the ball at his feet!🙌 #WeAreFGR💚 pic.twitter.com/M6IshKSfCa
— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) November 29, 2023
The 24-year-old right-back brings with him an interesting background, having come through the youth systems at both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. He made his senior debut for Spurs in a Europa League tie against Wolfsberger AC in 2021 but didn’t register a league appearance during his time in North London.
Following his departure from Tottenham, Lavinier signed for Swindon Town in 2022 and made 23 League Two appearances during the 2022/23 season, scoring twice. A move to Forest Green Rovers followed, where he featured 20 times across two campaigns before a short spell at Yeovil Town in the National League at the back end of 2024/25.
A former England U16 and U17 international, Lavinier also spent time training with Portugal’s U18 setup, reflecting his dual heritage and technical pedigree. Now a free agent, he is looking to earn a deal with the Imps as he bids to return to the Football League.
Zack Nolan
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We have also confirmed that Zach Nolan is on trial with the Imps. Zach is a left-back who has most recently played for Bray Wanderers. His name is really interesting, as he’s had a degree of interest from much bigger clubs, such as Serie A side Atalanta.
Nolan is a highly-rated teenage left-back who has burst onto the radar of EFL clubs following a standout season with Bray Wanderers. The 19-year-old made 32 league appearances in the League of Ireland First Division last season, with 37 in all competitions, showcasing a blend of defensive discipline and attacking dynamism down the flank.
Known for his outrageous speed, Nolan was clocked at an eye-catching 35km/h during a match, just a shade behind some of the fastest names in world football, including Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. It isn’t just us that appear to be taking a look – AC Monza and Brescia, both in Serie B, have also been credited with an interest.
Conclusion
We don’t make a habit of signing trialists; we’re usually fairly certain about our recruitment without having to look at players. What it does show is a bit of flexibility within the recruitment strategy – we’re willing to have a look at a player closely before making a decision, which is different to our usual meticulous approach.
We’ve had mixed results when signing trialists permanently – Neal Eardley is perhaps one of the standouts from the last couple of seasons, but Joan Luque and Remy Longdon both impressed in friendlies, and did not really land in the first team.
Perhaps the most famous of all was Adrian Patulea, scoring a pre-season hat trick, but only after winning a trial by running around the training pitch with his wife on his back.
One imagines things have moved on since then.
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