Imps manager Danny Cowley is proud of the progress that Jordan Adebayo-Smith has made in the 12 months since the youngster joined the club, after the striker signed his first professional contract this week.
The Imps boss knows though that the hard work must continue from the young striker for his development both on and off the field to flourish.
“We’re really proud of the progress he’s made. But the achievement of becoming a professional and earning the contract isn’t the end of his journey, it’s just the start. The better we do, the harder we work and that applies to us all, and that’s just as important for the individual.
“Jordan has made outstanding progress, when you consider that he came out of park football just 12 months ago, you have to say the amount of progress he’s made has been outstanding. He has some unbelievable raw materials in terms of his pace and his spring, and we’re working really hard to develop him further technically."
The City manager says that there's real scope for further growth in the young man who has shown a real willingness to listen and learn to further progress as a player, which has really benefitted him so far.
"The biggest challenge for him now is to keep developing his understanding of the game and how we can use that.
"He enjoyed a successful loan spell at Grantham Town where he did very well at that level. What we see in Jordan is that he has real potential, he’s got some unbelievable athletic quality but he's still got a lot to do technically and tactically. There’s a real capacity for him to learn more and within himself he naturally has a curiousity and desire to learn, along with an excellent work ethic. What we need to do now is find the best pathway for Jordan to continue his development."
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