St Neots manager Dennis Greene reckons midfielder Junior Konadu is good enough to play in the Football League

SILKY-SKILLED St Neots Town midfielder Junior Konadu should be playing in the Football League – according to his manager Dennis Greene.

The 24-year-old playmaker was a revelation in his first season at the Saints, after a broken leg had previously forced him out of the game for a year.

Spotted by Greene playing park football nearly three years ago, he played for Southern Premier Hemel Hempstead under his current boss, before earning himself a one-year contract at Dagenham & Redbridge from John Still – a close ally of the Saints manager.

But, with Konadu’s injury problems hopefully now behind him, Greene said he hopes to help the ex-Eton Manor star resurrect his dreams of playing much higher up.

“Junior is a technically gifted footballer and, for me, is as good as I’ve ever seen on the ball,” said Greene.

“That’s why I will put him on trial somewhere in the summer – not because I want to lose him – but, at his age, I think he should be playing in the Football League.

“And if I don’t put him on trial, he’ll never probably get an opportunity.”

Konadu is likely to be one of a whole host of St Neots players who caught the eye of bigger clubs last season – and Greene says he would love nothing more than to see his players progress up the ladder.

He explained: “Part of my job is developing players and moving them on and, if they’re good enough, I’d want them to move on.

“But what’s also important is building up a good enough relationship with the player, that they trust you to do the right things for them.

“If a club, say Corby, came in for Dan Jacob for example, I’d say ‘Dan, you can do better than Corby. ‘If they’ve shown an interest in you, why don’t you keep playing well here for another two or three months and see what the next club is.’

“That would be my advice to any of my players – and not in a selfish way – if the right club were to come in, I’d say go.”

Saints return for pre-season training tonight (Tuesday) ahead of their first warm-up match against MK Dons on July 9.