Pedro Ferreira has come in on a three-year contract at the City Ground this summer.
He has a brief from owner Evangelos Marinakis to bring in a lot of top quality talents to push the team up the table.
Speaking with Portuguese media outlet Maisfutebol, Ferreira stated why he left Benfica for Forest.
He said: “I felt that it was the right time, after 17 years of connection to the club, to leave what was also my comfort zone. That was it, it was the Premier League and it was Nottingham, who presented me with a very attractive project.
“The owners are very ambitious and want Nottingham to win a trophy again.
“I realized that I can help make this happen and the fact of working with Mr Nuno Espirito Santo and creating a relationship of trust made me think that there was something there that would make me leave my comfort zone, in a different country and that it would force me to continue to grow and use other tools to continue growing.
“I'm 41 years old and I also have expectations for my career and I feel that my move to Nottingham will help me grow.”