Ali Fuseini is exceptionally raw, having started only eight matches in his professional career. But when I took in Millwall's League One game against Northampton at the New Den last week, the 18-year-old midfielder stood out, as much for his maturity as anything else.
One moment stayed with me. With his team 2-0 up, and the game becoming a little fractious, he sized up a 50-50 challenge but resisted the temptation to dive in and try to hurt someone to make a statement. Instead, he preferred to win the ball from a standing position, showing good self-control in one so young.
The New Den is not the cauldron of old. When I played there, it is safe to say that the supporters did not suffer fools gladly. If they didn't take to you, you might as well have packed your bags and gone. But his performance was not about him trying to earn his stripes in front of a crowd of more than 6,500. He recognised in a split-second that diving in was unnecessary, perhaps even selfish. It can be about knowing when to make that type of tackle and Fuseini's judgment was sound.
I liked his attitude - the way he does not think he is better than he is. He didn't complicate things, rarely gave the ball away and his confidence grew as the game wore on. There was nothing cocky or big-time about his manner.
He was asked to play three different roles during the 90 minutes, which struck me as incongruous given his lack of experience. He started just behind the strikers in a 4-4-2, 20 yards in front of his central midfield partner, Dave Brammer, and when Millwall switched to 4-3-3 he was the furthest forward of the central trio. In both positions he neutralised Northampton's deep-lying midfielder and didn't allow him to play. When his opponent pushed further forward Fuseini was then asked to sit more defensively in front of his back four. In all three positions, he adapted well, did everything asked of him and played his part in Millwall's victory.
In the more advanced role, he showed an uncanny knack of picking up second- phase balls cleared out of the box, and unleashed two wonderful shots from the edge of the area, helping to apply sustained pressure. This positional sixth sense was also evident in defensive areas, where he started many counter-attacks from balls cleared from his own box. He was excellent, too, in breaking up counter-attacks and closing down opponents.
What he lacked in the advanced role was the ability to break into the penalty area, often stopping on the edge. He still needs to learn when to use his pace so he has a greater impact going forward. His range of passing was good and he hit a clutch of super long-range balls into the path of team-mates, not once making them stop or break stride, and he showed the poise to look over his shoulder and assess his options before receiving possession.
It is too early to assess how far Fuseini will go but he will be OK. With him, what you see is what you get, and that isn't always the case with young players.
Age 18
Born Accra, Ghana
Position Central midfield
Height 5ft 6in
Weight 9st 10lb
From Trainee
Tackling 8/10
Heading 7/10
Pace 8/10
Attitude 8/10
Team responsibility 8/10
Valuation £250,000
