Scout Report – Ben Wilmot
Liverpool and Tottenham are reportedly set to battle it out to sign Stevenage’s 18-year-old centre-back Ben Wilmot. In fact, 30 scouts are understood to have travelled to monitor Wilmot as he played for his side in the Checkatrade Trophy clash against Brighton’s U21s less than a month ago. The youngster played the full 90 minutes and was quite impressive, which has led to positive reports.
With two top 6 Premier League clubs interested in him, Wilmot is certainly moving in the right direction and if he were to make the move, it will be a huge opportunity for him. That said, let’s take a closer look at Wilmot’s profile.
History
Born in 1999 in Stevenage, England, Wilmot joined his current club as an academy scholar. He relished the opportunity to play for his hometown and rapidly progressed through the ranks to establish himself as one of their brightest prospects. Despite being only a first-year scholar, Wilmot signed his first professional contract with Stevenage earlier in April this year. In fact, he made his professional debut for the side only in October and is a fresh talent.
He was particularly impressive in the FA Youth Cup in the 2016/17 season, which is understood to have prompted Stevenage to offer him a contract in the first place. Interestingly, Wilmot is the son of Richard Wilmot, who has made over 150 appearances for the Hertfordshire club as a goalkeeper.
Playing Style
Wilmot is a very solid centre-back and boasts of a very strong skill set which includes dribbling and tackling. He has a long way to go since he is so young but the player is adept at partnering his fellow centre-back in creating an impregnable defence at the back. He also contributes to the attack whenever he can and is quite strong in the air as well – a quality which is much-needed for a central defender.
However, as is the case with most youngsters, he needs to sharpen his trade further and ensure he retains utmost concentration for the entire 90 minutes. Challenges will only toughen for him as time progresses, making it all the more necessary for him to work on himself when he still has time on his side.
Wilmot’s Future
With Liverpool and Tottenham interested in him, it will be interesting to see which club he joins. Klopp and Pochettino are both very relenting with young players and that will be crucial for him to break into the first-team in the near future. It might be tough for him to bid goodbye to his hometown club but it is a decision that he needs to make to grow further. There is not much scope for growth in the League Two and for him to get the chance to make the switch to the Premier League already will be a huge deal.