Pic: Hednesford Town FC
COHEN BRAMALL’S former boss Liam McDonald is backing the youngster to have a Jamie Vardy impact after sealing a dream move to Premier League giants Arsenal.
The 20-year-old left-back has moved to the Gunners in a deal thought to be around £40,000 – a tidy return for the Evo-Stik NPL Premier Pitmen.
Bramall turned out for Kidsgrove Athletic. Alsager Town, Nantwich Town and Market Drayton before McDonald took him to Hednesford in the summer.
It didn’t take long for Premier League scouts to hear about the youngster’s talents and Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday were reportedly keen before Arsenal swooped.
McDonald, now manager of National League side Solihull Moors, said: “He’s a natural athlete and he’s got a great opportunity to develop that now.
“He’ll take it in his stride. I’m very positive he’ll have a similar impact to Jamie Vardy.”
Bramall impressed Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger after training with the club’s first team and the youngster said: “I drove in there and then I saw the Arsenal Football Club sign, I was absolutely gobsmacked. It was like a dream. It was so weird.
“I was training with the first team on the first day, on the Thursday and the Friday and my eyes just lit up straight away but I had to do my job.
“I just played to the best of my ability; I used my speed a lot, overlapping from left-back and tried to get my body up there in front of Wenger really.”
