Manager of English League two side Colchester United Steve Ball has lauded the qualities of English-born Ghanaian teenager Kwame Poku.

According to Ball, he saw Poku’s talent the very first day he watched him and felt he could easily play the English fourth tier league.

“I remember it vividly, last season. We watched Kwame play at Florence Park for the under-23s in a pre-season match and instantly we thought ‘this kid is robust enough, confident enough and certainly good enough to cope with division two,’’ the manager told Gazete in an interview.

“That’s why every game that these kids play is a platform and opportunity to stake a claim.

“We’ve had young players go out on loan but there are also players like (Kwame) Poku who will have their opportunities, too.

“There’s a chance for players who haven’t had loans to hit the ground running in pre-season and show me that they’re at the right levels and they will get chance,’’ Ball added.

Poku, 19, netted five goals and provided three assists in 31 games last season as he was crowned the best young player of the year.