Georgie boy is star turn

GEORGE GREEN . . . “exciting talent.”

ATHLETIC boss Darren Kelly simply can’t wait to unleash George Green against opposition defences next season.

Nineteen-year-old front man Green signed for two years for Athletic on Friday following his release by Everton, and Kelly believes he has captured an exciting young talent.

Kelly certainly believes the Joe Royle-recommended Green is set to make a big impact and will definitely excite his new club's fans.

Kelly said: "Both the club and I have been aware of George for quite a long time. I've seen him play in the under-21s premier league when I was at Sunderland, while the club knew all about him at Everton via Joe. Our fans can rest assured we have a top-quality player on our hands.

"I'm not party to the reasons why Everton let him go, but I know at one point lots of massive clubs wanted George - Manchester United and Tottenham included. He’s an exciting talent, he's just great with the ball at his feet and I can't wait for him to show us all exactly what he can do.”

New boss Kelly is preparing to draft in another forward player, hopefully today, with former Wolves hit-man Jake Cassidy (22) linked with a move to SportsDirect.com Park following his release from Molineux at the end of last season.

twitter: @Smedders1966