Aaron Braithwaite

A look at some of the best players I’ve seen in the past few years at either U18s or U23s level or currently playing in non-league who've either left a really positive impression or whose careers I follow with genuine interest to see how they're doing every week.

Player: Aaron Braithwaite 

Age: 18

Position: Midfielder

Club: Grimsby Town

If there's one player likely to try and keep warm, even in boiling 40 degree sunshine, it's Aaron Braithwaite.

A few photos do exist of him wearing short sleeves but nearly every time I've watched him or seen photos from other games then he's always worn a base layer. I'm not sure whether or not it's to cover up his tattoo with him still being a second-year scholar but when I rate a player and watch them closely, I'll always pick up on small things like that which people might miss.

A box-to-box midfielder who can operate either as a No.4 or a No.8, Aaron is good at what he does in both positions. He first impressed me at Brigg Town last pre-season when he scored one goal, got stuck in, created plenty of problems for the opposition and even cheekily used a 15-stone bloke on the other team as leverage to get back on his feet. It was a good individual display which had quality about it and most importantly, it was memorable.

Like with any player there are things he needs to improve (and that’s just football) but he's composed in possession, his passing is usually consistent; the ball rarely goes astray, and it's easy to spot someone who has talent plus a good work-ethic and commitment to make the most of what they've got.

Playing at Brigg Town (in short sleeves) last summer.

I'd loved to have watched him in Doncaster's team every week over the past few years and, ironically, it was against Donny late on last season where he highlighted his capabilities again.

With the game locked at 0-0 after 90 minutes, he pops up on the edge of the box and thunders a shot with venom straight into the bottom corner. Two minutes later at the other end, he reads a dangerous situation perfectly and pops up with a goal-line clearance at which point the full-time whistle goes; job done, he's the match-winner with a big beaming smile on his face and his team-mates are all ‘high-fiving’ him because he's made two MASSIVE contributions to get three points.

That's what good players do - and that's ultimately why Aaron is a good player who contributed plenty in a very good team for North-East Youth Alliance level.

He’s just earned a pro deal at Grimsby for next season which is testament to the graft he's put in over a number of years and he was also on the substitutes bench away at Eastleigh on the final day of the National League season. He didn't get on for his senior debut in that game but, on the flip side, it allows him more time to work on his terrible interview technique because after signing his pro contract he looked like a bag of nerves and swayed from side to side so much I thought I'd get sea sick just watching it.

I'm already looking forward to watching Grimsby next year because he should still be eligible to play at YT level (due to the rules regarding first-year pros) and I enjoy watching him and others including Harry Milner, Alex Markham, Jamie Bramwell, Declyn Dennis, Edwin Essel and Harvey Tomlinson, who'll again form the crux of that team in 2022/23.

Moreover, I hope he thrives in a first team environment where he gets to do what he loves doing every day at the club he grew up supporting, gets a good first loan spell under his belt, and ultimately experiences that special moment he'll have dreamed about a million times already where he finally makes his debut at Blundell Park in front of 5,000+ fans all giving it the inevitable 'He's One Of Our Own' chant.

However things unfold, I'll always follow Aaron's career with interest so keep making your family proud and ALWAYS believe in yourself - even in those moments of self-doubt which every player experiences at some point. I've loved watching your performances over the past 12 months and you've created a good impression yourself with how you've performed on the pitch.

Just remember nothing can be as bad as a rendition of 'Stand By Me' at an initiation.

Good luck!