Colin Calderwood is planning on giving his promotion-winning Nottingham Forest squad the chance to prove they can make the grade in the Championship.

The Forest boss will strengthen his squad this summer and has already been linked with a number of players.

But he is also determined to give those players who played prominent roles for the club in League One last season another opportunity at a higher level.

Calderwood said: "We'll give these players the chance to become Championship players.

"There will be many teams with more experience of that level but we hope our ambition will take us to where we want to be.

"The development of teams like Reading is a great example to us because they didn't change too much as they went up.

"Look at Bristol City and the impact they have made this season. More or less, the backbone of the team has stayed the same. They made one or two additions but many times they reverted back to the tried-and-trusted formula that had made them successful.

"We'll take the winning habit and the fact that the group of players have proved they are winners and will add a little bit around the edges.

"But the signings we do make have got to have an important impact on what we do next season."

Players will inevitably leave The City Ground this summer but Calderwood added: "It is funny how people talk about discarding players, when we are talking about people who have done a wonderful job for you.

"I would not discard anyone who has done a job for us ... we will keep the group together as best as we can.

"There will obviously be changes - the players know that as well as anyone - but it could be that they are the ones who want to leave themselves."