St Johnstone manager Craig Levein doesn’t have a clue which position Aaron Essel will end up settling into.
The fact that he’s looked so accomplished in a few different slots is one of the reasons he’s made a big impression at McDiarmid Park already.
Saints completed the signing of the 18-year-old from Ghana on Monday.
Essel’s tackling, aerial ability, strength and composure in central midfield caught the eye when he was sent on as a second half trialist in the Perth side’s pre-season friendly against Arbroath at the weekend.
The Ghana under-23 international’s age and football inexperience necessitates caution when assessing his future career in Scotland and beyond.
But there’s no mistaking his talent.
‘Making an impression’
“The enthusiasm and energy that Aaron brings to the team is brilliant,” said Levein.
“He smiles every single minute of every single day.
“He comes into the training as if it’s his first day – every day.
“Aaron is only 18.
“There’s a lot of water to flow under the bridge before he gets to his final destination.
“How good will he be? I don’t know.
“He’s still very young so I am a little bit hesitant to be over-the-top about what I’ve seen in training and what he’s done in the games he’s been involved in.
“I don’t want to put expectations on him. He will have to find his own way and obviously, if he feels comfortable then I am pretty sure he will be a regular.
“Is he a midfielder or a defender? That’s the good thing, I don’t know.
“He plays centre-mid as a holding player, as right-back, right centre-back, left centre-back.
“I don’t know if he could play further up midfielder either. We will see. He’s certainly making an impression.”
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