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Glen Williams

'Frustrated' Cardiff City star Rubin Colwill must emulate Nottingham Forest ace who's 'gone to another level'

Cardiff City forward Rubin Colwill must take a leaf out of Nottingham Forest star Brennan Johnson's book if he is to realise his potential and reach the very top of the game, believes Wales boss Rob Page.

Colwill has shown over the last year or so that he has the quality to light up the Championship, however he has endured a frustrating start to the campaign, which has seen him play only a bit-part due to a lack of fitness.

Over the same period of time, his compatriot, Johnson, has enjoyed a meteoric rise. He helped Forest achieve promotion to the Premier League, won the Championship's Young Player of the Year and has started brightly in the top flight. He's also become an important player for Wales, too.

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It will have irked Colwill to see Johnson shoot past him in the Wales standings, no doubt, because he certainly has the talent to become an integral part of Page's team. And the Wales boss is in no doubt over the talent the Bluebirds playmaker possesses.

"When you're a young player you are prone to it. Believe it or not, he might have growing pains again. He is 6ft 3in already," Page said.

"But I stand by what I said a couple of years ago when I introduced him to the squad, he is a talent and I think there was a lot of speculation in the window about whether he was going to move and he decided he was going to stay.

"He is as frustrated as anyone with those couple of knocks. But once he has got past that, he will be a talented player."

Johnson, Colwill's senior by one year at 21, has seen his stock rise hugely over the past 12 months under Steve Cooper at the City Ground.

So much so, that he is emerging as a nailed-on starter for Wales in the World Cup. A meteoric rise for a player who was playing in League One with Lincoln City as recently as 16 months ago. Page hopes Colwill enjoys a similar shoot to stardom over the next year.

"Brennan has gone to another level," the Wales boss added. "He showed it in the Championship with Forest, helping them get promotion. He has shown it with us for Wales, he is going to get better and better, Brennan.

"He has evolved from a 10, or an attacking midfielder. Against Man City, he posed a constant threat against world-class players on the counter. He has gone to another level.

"And Rubin should be looking at players like that now and going, 'Well, why has he got there and what do I need to do to get there?' Barring any unlucky injuries he can't control."

Those who watch Cardiff week in, week out see the talent Colwill, 20, has with the ball at his feet. He can manipulate the ball expertly, has an incredible eye for a pass and can fire vicious shots off at will, too.

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At 20, Colwill already has six caps and a goal to his name and there is little doubt there is far more to come on the international stage for him. But Page believes the world is his oyster on the club stage, too.

When asked if he believes Colwill has what it takes to get to the top echelons of the game, Page said: "Absolutely. He has got all the attributes. He just needs to settle his body down with regards to his injuries and he will get there, I believe that."

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