Ahead of Nottingham Forest’s first European semi-final for 42 years, Vitor Pereira paid a visit to the statue of the manager whose success on the continent is ingrained in the very fabric of the club. Brian Clough ’s achievements at the City Ground will always be unmatched. The Reds have two stars on their badge courtesy of their incredible double European Cup success under his stewardship. Pereira is trying to pen a new chapter in Forest’s history, with his team hosting Aston Villa on Thursday (8pm kick-off) in the first leg of their Europa League last-four tie. And earlier this week he took in the statue of Clough that stands proudly near Old Market Square . WORLD CUP LEGENDS: The stars who lit up football’s greatest tournament – Buy the Special Edition today “A strong, strong, strong character,” Pereira said of the Reds’ greatest ever boss. “Not just a top manager, but a strong character. “This week I went into the city centre and I saw the statue of the big manager of this club. I don’t want my statue anywhere but we can imagine what he meant to this city. “He is in the centre of this city because he did something fantastic that stays in the heart of these people until now and for the new generations. For sure, it’s an inspiration for us. We will try to do our best to emulate what he did. “If we want to put our name in the history of this club, we need to get to and win the final. Of course he (Clough) is an inspiration for us. “This is a big chance for us and for our supporters to reach a final. We will do everything we can to move forward.” Forest’s continental adventure has come amid a battle for survival in the Premier League . The challenge of juggling the two demands has not been easy, with this season having been one of ups and downs. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Get all the Nottingham Forest latest via our Facebook page Pereira is the club’s fourth head coach of the campaign. The Portuguese may be the one trying to get this group over the line in two competitions, but he recognises the hard work that has gone before. “First of all, I have to speak about the other managers that have been here before me,” he said. “They played in the Europa League to get to this stage. “In this moment, it is not only about me. It is not about me, it is about the team and about the club. “Tomorrow, we will try our best. I will try to enjoy the game, of course, but we want to compete with the true spirit of a champion. This is what we need to be, the best version of ourselves and to feel the support of our fans. We want to compete from the first minute until the last. “What I ask every time in training and in games is to feel good energy. With good vibes, we can do miracles. We can do things where in the end we feel proud of ourselves.”