Former Nottingham Forest winger Steve Stone believes Andrew Cole and Robert Earnshaw could fire Colin Calderwood's men into the Premier League.

Calderwood has come up trumps in the transfer market this summer by luring the potent goalscoring duo to the City Ground.

Stone, who made over 200 appearances during a 10-year spell at Forest, is now backing Cole and Earnshaw to forge a productive partnership in the Championship.

"The experience of Andy will help bring the best out of the others," Stone told the Nottingham Post. "He has gone there and there is no doubt he will want to do well. People like Earnshaw have proven quality and they are both proven goalscorers.

"I honestly think with the momentum and the right players, they have a chance of going up. You only have to look at Hull.

"If they get a good start, who knows what could happen. They could be back in the Premiership by the end of it."