 Mills returned to England on a permanent basis by rejoining his former club Nottingham Forest in December 1983.It was not until 7 April 1984 that he made his second debut for Forest, when he started the 3–1 home win over West Bromwich Albion.He played in nine matches for Forest in 1983–84, including seven outings in their last nine league fixtures, with the team finishing third in the First Division.