"It's really easy to forget he's only 18" - Kevin Wilkin praises 'exceptional' Wolves loanee after FA Trophy heroics
Kevin Wilkin has described Wolves-loanee Josh Gracey as 'exceptional' after a match-winning performance at Hornchurch on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old goalkeeper made a string of saves in Telford's FA Trophy fourth round victory against The Urchins, and helped his side close out a 2-1 victory despite playing most of the second half with 10 men.
Gracey has made a strong impression on and off the pitch since joining the Bucks, and his manager was full of praise for him following the midweek triumph.
"With the maturity Josh shows it's really easy to forget he's only18," Wilkin began. "At his young age it's quite exceptional really and he's been great for us all season, but he was terrific on Tuesday night.
"He came up with some big saves in the first half to keep us in the game, and the way he's handled the ball, distributed the ball and managed the game was excellent.
"He's enjoying his time here and hopefully we can be a bit of a stepping stone for him to move forward and reach a really high level of football.
"From day one he's always had the confidence to communicate, and there are some boys that are a whole lot older than him that don't have that sort of confidence.
"That was evident from pretty much day one of him being here. He's a confident young man that I think does have a good understanding of the game already, how things operate and how things work, and he certainly contributes to the group.
"He has a strong opinion on situations which is good and he knows how to articulate that opinion. He might be 18 years old but his behaviours are far older than you would expect."
Gracey initially joined the club as a replacement for Brandon Hall, and as the experienced keeper approaches a return to fitness Wilkin believes the 32-year-old can play a crucial role in the development of the Northern Ireland youth international.
"Brandon's started to increase his rehab schedule, and goalkeepers tend to look after one another," he explained. "Certainly the more Brandon is in and around training the more he's able to get involved and support Josh along the way.
"Obviously we don't want to see Brandon injured and we hope to have him fit and available soon to add something to the group.
"He's a big character around the place and it will be nice to have him there to lend any help to Josh and the rest of the group."
