Nottingham Forest officially announced that youth midfielder Ben Perry has joined English League Two team Colchester United for an undisclosed transfer fee, marking the end of Perry's 11-year "Forest Years" and the beginning of a new chapter in his career.

Perry joined Nottingham Forest's youth training camp in 2014 at the age of 9, where he completed his studies and football skills. In recent years, he has successfully joined the club's B team and participated in the Premier League 2 and the English Football League Championship (EFL Trophy) in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.

In the second half of the just-concluded season, Perry was loaned to League One team Northampton Town, during which time he played 17 games for the team, accumulating valuable first-team experience and further improving his physical confrontation and game reading abilities.

Nottingham Forest's head of youth training, Craig Mulholland, expressed his blessing for Perry's departure: "We are proud of Ben. He has been a member of our team since the age of nine and has always demonstrated a professional attitude and determination that is in line with Nottingham Forest's values. These qualities will accompany him as he embarks on a long career."

“Being able to successfully sign a professional contract in the English Football League after receiving full training from us is not only an achievement for Ben, but also represents another successful output of the club’s youth training system.”

Although Perry's transfer is a farewell to youth, it also means a new beginning. Nottingham Forest thanks him for his contribution over the years and says that Perry will always be a part of the "Forest Family" and will always welcome his return.