Arsenal midfielder Tim Akinola made his debut for Chesterfield earlier this month and he has already been lavished with praise by the National League club’s coaching staff.

Assistant Manager Simon Webb was assessing the 21-year-old’s first appearance for Chesterfield, when he drew comparisons between the player and Chelsea star N’Golo Kante:

“He is fit, he breaks things up and I think he is going to be a great addition. He is athletic, I think he is maybe a bit of a throwback to midfielders… People talk about Kante at Chelsea and what a career he has had through breaking play up. What is good with Tim is that he doesn’t break it up and give it away. He makes sensible decisions.”

Of course, Akinola is a long way from being able to play at Kante’s level; he is on loan in the fifth tier of English football, after all, but his ability to break up play and use the ball intelligently shows the excellent education he received at the Hale End academy.

The midfielder has played just 25 minutes for Chesterfield, after yesterday’s match against Gateshead was postponed, but he will be keen to make an impact between now and when his loan ends in May.

Akinola struggled to get any game time after joining Scottish side Dundee United for the second half of last season so he will be looking to make more of an impression at Chesterfield.