Former Nottingham Forest youth player Yassine En-Neyah was taken to hospital as Truro City's non-league match was postponed

Former Nottingham Forest academy prospect Yassine En-Neyah has expressed his gratitude for the support he has received following a “pre-game medical incident”.

The Truro City midfielder, who spent four years in the Reds’ youth ranks, was taken to hospital by ambulance after he had required “medical assistance” prior to his team’s National League South match at Folkestone Invicta on Saturday. The game was postponed and his club released a statement later that day, saying he was “stable, sitting up and chatting”.

En-Neyah has since said he is “truly humbled” by the “love and support” he has received. He expressed his thanks in a message uploaded to his Instagram page and to Truro’s X account on Monday evening.

The 26-year-old said: “First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who has reached out and shown me so much love and support. Every single message means more to me than words can explain.

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“To the supporters who travelled, some of you making long journeys just to come and watch us play, I am truly sorry that your day ended that way. You gave up your time, travelled miles and spent your hard-earned money to support us. I hope you know how much that means to me, and I will never take that support for granted.

“To my teammates, the club, the management and everyone involved, thank you for being there and showing me that football is about so much more than what happens on the pitch.

“A special thank you to the paramedics and emergency services who attended to me. The work you do, the care you show and the sacrifices you make do not go unnoticed. I will always be grateful for the way you looked after me.

“And to every single person who stopped what they were doing, showed concern or said a prayer for me, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

“Football brings people together, but it is moments like this that remind you just how much love and humanity exist within the game. I am truly humbled by the amount of support I have received. I wish I could personally thank every single one of you.”

Forest midfielder and Nigel Doughty Academy graduate Ryan Yates responded to En-Neyah’s Instagram post with a heart emoji. Former Reds youngsters Riley Harbottle and Danny Preston did the same.

Following the incident, a statement by Truro on the “pre-game medical incident” had said: “This afternoon’s match against Folkestone Invicta was postponed after Yassine En-Neyah required medical assistance before kick-off.

“Yassie was transferred via land ambulance to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford for further treatment. He is stable, sitting up and chatting, but will remain in hospital overnight under observation.

“The club would like to place on record its thanks to Truro City’s medical staff, their counterparts at Folkestone Invicta, along with all club personnel from the home team.

“We thank the staff from NHS South East Coast Ambulance Service and all at the William Harvey Hospital too. Both the National League and Football Association have offered their help and support. There have also been many heartening well wishes from Truro City fans and the wider football community.”

En-Neyah joined Forest in 2017 and featured for the first-team three years later. He came off the bench late on in a 2-0 FA Cup defeat away to Chelsea in January 2020, when Sabri Lamouchi was manager.

It proved to be his only senior appearance in the Garibaldi. After leaving the Reds in 2021, he had spells at Shelbourne, Waterford, Truro, Colchester United and Maldon and Tiptree, before returning to Truro in 2023.