A shortlist of sculptors to create a statue of football legend Brian Clough has been revealed.

Nottingham City Council, along with Brian Clough's family and the Brian Clough Statue Fund, considered 18 ideas from artists around the country.

Clough managed both Derby County and Nottingham Forest, taking Forest to two European Cup wins.

The chairman of the statue fund, Paul Ellis, said the three artists would be asked to make a miniature of Clough dressed in his famous green sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms.

"This is a big step forward for the statue plans," said Mr Ellis. "It is vital we have the right statue by the right sculptor so that generations to come can be proud of it.

"We have been consulting closely with Mr Clough's family and their views have been crucial in this selection process and of course will continue to be so. We have discussed with them possible poses for the statue.

"But obviously the artists will need to come-up with their own interpretations of the poses too."

The short listed sculptors are Les Johnson, who is based in Hampshire, Keith Maddison from Northumberland and John McKenna from Ayrshire in Scotland.

A final decision is expected late this year or early next.