Cardiff City academy manager Gavin Chesterfield believes Eli King has the qualities required to make an immediate impact for Ross County.
Midfielder King has joined the Staggies on loan from Cardiff for the remainder of the season, and made his debut in Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup.
Although it was a bad day at the office for the Highlanders, King showed up among County’s stronger performers.
King has come through the Bluebirds’ youth ranks, having been attached to the club since the age of eight.
Having racked up more than 40 appearances in loan spells at Crewe and Morecambe in the last two seasons, King has now opted to test himself in the Scottish Premiership with the Staggies.
It sees him reunite with County manager Derek Adams, who took him to previous club Morecambe at the beginning of this season.
King has developed resilience
Although he is only 21, Chesterfield believes King’s previous loan spells have acclimatised him to what is required in senior football.
Chesterfield said: “He has now grown into being a very good player. This is his third loan now, having first gone to Crewe, and he then went to Morecambe and had a very good loan spell there.
“Off the back of his loan experiences he has developed a level of resilience as to the real side of football.
“That’s important when they step outside of academy football.
“The realness he has developed in his game, off the back of loans at Crewe and Morecambe, have really added a different dimension to his game.
“Ross County are getting a midfielder who is still developmental, the best is yet to come in Eli, but they are getting a far more complete midfielder who is ready to go and contribute hugely to them.”
Midfielder’s technical ability shines through at senior level
Chesterfield says King has a wide range of attributes which can bolster the Staggies’ midfield, and feels the Wales under-21 international’s previous loan spells will prepare him well for the challenge of establishing himself in Scotland’s top flight.
Chesterfield added: “The key thing for Eli is developing that realness to the game, of what matters in midfield in the thrust of professional league football.
“Sometimes in an academy setting that is quite difficult to replicate.
“Eli’s physical stats from games, in terms of his total distance covered, his accelerations and decelerations, are always of a very high level.
“He’s a hard-working, energetic midfielder.
“Eli is a consummate professional, with an excellent attitude and professionalism.
“He has got really likeable qualities as a player. He is of good size, stature and build – and has an excellent work rate.
“Bearing in mind, he’s coming to Ross County now as an experienced player – not just an academy player.
“He has 50 or 60 games under his belt, which puts him in good stead.
“I think he’s one of those players who generally makes those around him better. He’s able to get people on the ball.
“His passing range is very good. He is brave in possession, he can play between the lines, but he can also open up and play in behind as well.
“It’s that which will hopefully lead to him having a long and sustained career in the game.”
Cardiff keen for King to test himself in Scotland
Chesterfield revealed the Staggies beat off other interest to land King until the end of the campaign, and he is hopeful a successful spell can further enhance his prospects of breaking into Cardiff’s first team squad.
He added: “There was a lot of interest in Eli from higher leagues in England as well.
“Going with a manager that has shown huge belief in him previously is obviously a huge attraction from our perspective as a club.
“The hope is that it’s a successful loan, where he continues to apply himself and continues to develop at the speed we think he can.
“It’s then to come back in pre-season and go from there. It’s beyond my call then, because at that point it’s more of a first team call and he will be very much under the manager’s nose.
“Coming back into the building, off the back of what is hopefully a third successful loan, will stand him in good stead to contribute towards our first team.”
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