Nottingham Forest midfielder Ryan Yates was hailed by journalist Paul Taylor after a strong performance in the 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa.

The Lowdown: Forest held by Villa

The Reds hosted Steven Gerrard's side in the Premier League on Monday night, as they looked to celebrate Steve Cooper's new contract in style.

In truth, it wasn't a classic at the City Ground, with Emmanuel Dennis opening the scoring and Ashley Young firing home a long-range equaliser before half-time, but few chances for either team outside of that.

Yates performed well on a frantic night in the middle of the park however, winning nine of his 14 ground duels and also all four aerial duels he competed for, according to Sofascore, with 13 total individual battles won the most of any player on the pitch.

The Latest: Yates' performance praised

Taking to Twitter during the game, Taylor praised Yates' influence against Villa in a simple four-word verdict:

"Yates leading by example."

The Verdict: Underrated figure for Reds

Taylor's description of Yates' display perfectly highlights the type of player he is, with the 24-year-old an excellent vice-captain for Forest, despite still only being 24. Cooper has praised the youngster's leadership qualities in the past, and they were on full show on Monday night.

There may be others in the team who make more headlines, or who fans of other clubs know better, but the Englishman continues to be a key cog in the machine.

The fact that he also made four clearances against Villa - the second highest figure of any player (Scott McKenna, 5) - further shows what an unsung individual he is and his 86.8% pass completion rate in the league this season is proof of his quality on the ball, too.