[AMERICANS ABROAD] Billy Davies, the manager of English League Championship  club Nottingham Forest, says John Spencer, the new head coach of MLS's Portland Timbers, played a role in the signing of Real Salt Lake striker Robbie Findley.

Spencer, the former Chelsea player who is now a rookie manager in the States, had tipped Forest boss Billy Davies off about the availability of Findley, whose contract with Real Salt Lake had expired, before the World Cup.

"John Spencer keeps me in touch with American players," Davies told thisisnottingham.co.uk. "He is now manager of Portland. He mentioned him to me in the summer and it all started from there. We are very pleased, he is a player people will have seen during the World Cup period. When we were alerted that he may want to try his luck in Europe, we immediately started to try to put wheels in motion. It was a race against time, because he did have other options. He is a goalscorer with electric pace and he will be a great benefit to our squad."

Davies said the arrival of Findley, who must receive a work permit before the deal is finalized, could result in a shakeup of the Forest frontline during the January transfer window. He also believes Findley will hit his stride for the stretch run.

"He will be fresh for the final few months of the season," said Davies, "because he has had a little break now."

Forest is in ninth place in the Championship League but has one to three games in hand on all the teams ahead of it.

The top two win promotion to the Premier League, while teams that finish third to sixth enter the promotion playoffs.