Sonny Bradley has backed Deji Elerewe to continue building on his impressive start to the campaign, highlighting the young defender's mentality and potential.
Elerewe has established himself as a regular alongside Bradley this season, impressing as the Imps continue to adapt to life in the Sky Bet Championship.
Bradley, who has been at the club for nearly 18 months, says Elerewe’s potential was evident from the early stages of his time at City, having watched the defender develop in training before being handed his opportunity.
Bradley explained: “I recognised it before the first couple of weeks that he came in the door.
I could tell straight away in training that he was a big lad. He was aggressive, he was ready to get stuck in and everything that he was asked to do, he could do comfortably.
“I recognised pretty early that he's got a big future in the game. He's had a great start to the season, but it's just the start. With the mentality that he's got, I'm pretty sure he'll want to take it into the rest of this year and certainly into the second half of the season.”
Bradley believes Elerewe's emergence highlights the importance of taking opportunities when they arrive, particularly in a City squad boasting competition for places across the pitch.
He continued: “It's about making the most of your opportunity. Deji has done that so far.
“It's difficult to keep your place at this football club because we've got a brilliant group of players, a brilliant squad. I think we've got at least two players in each position, which gives Chris and Tom a real headache, but I suppose it's a good headache to have.
“Some players might not have played as much as they want, but the effort and commitment every day, whether that's in training or on a matchday, is there for everyone to see.”
The defender also reflected on City's response to Saturday's disappointment against Birmingham City, admitting the team must return to the defensive fundamentals which have been a key part of their success.
He said: “All the players recognise that we need to take that responsibility. We've recognised that we weren't good enough in certain moments in the game and we've worked on it.
“Every game day won't be perfect. What is important for me and the group is how quickly can we reset? How quickly can we go back and look at how we've built our success and what we need to do to react and win games?”
Watch party at the ProAmpac Stadium
If you’re unable to make the journey to Vicarage Road, you can still get behind the Imps by joining fellow supporters at the ProAmpac Stadium for our watch party on Tuesday 3 November.
With City kicking off at 7.45pm, supporters can watch the action live on the big screens, enjoy food and drink from The View, brought to you by Almond Financial, and the ProAmpac Centre Spot bar, and get behind Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw’s side as they look to pick up a positive result on the road.
Entry is free, but supporters must have a ticket to attend. Secure your place HERE and join us to back the lads!