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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Alex Young

Arsenal youngster Charlie Patino hailed as ‘one of the best midfielders on the ball’ by loan manager

Arsenal youngster Charlie Patino has been hailed as one of the best midfielders on the ball his current manager has ever seen.

The 18-year-old is spending the season on loan at Championship side Blackpool in what is the teenager's first temporary move away from the Gunners.

Patino is considered one of Arsenal's most promising youngsters, and last season made two appearances for the first team and scored his first senior goal.

Michael Appleton, Patino's boss at Blackpool, has been impressed by the youngster's versatility and after a 0-0 draw at Sunderland, has backed him to have a bright future.

"He is 18 years old, he can deal with the ball in any area of the pitch, go past people left side, right side," Appleton told reporters.

"I said when he came to the club that he's as good as anyone I’ve seen dealing with the ball and with good movement of the ball, as you’ve seen tonight, he can play as a six, as a ten and as an eight. He’s got a really, really good future ahead of him.

"He was outstanding tonight, especially in that second half. He controlled the game, it was his game, he played at his tempo when he wanted to speed it up he speed it up, when he wanted to slow it down he slowed it down, when he wanted to switch the play he did it.

"It was a very mature performance from a very young lad."

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