Harry Lee: Exeter City goalkeeper has 'top level' potential, says manager Matt Taylor

Harry Lee's two first-team games have come in the Papa John's Trophy

Exeter City manager Matt Taylor says 16-year-old goalkeeper Harry Lee has the potential to play at the top level.

Lee saved two penalties in City's Papa John's Trophy shootout win over Cheltenham on Tuesday and is the latest prospect from the League Two club.

"He won't reach his peak until his late 20s, so that's still 10 or 12 years away," Taylor told BBC Sport.

"We just hope we've played a part in his pathway because he's going to play at the top level."

Exeter's academy has a rich history of producing successful players, with the likes of England striker Ollie Watkins and Wales defender Ethan Ampadu two of a host of graduates the club has sold to sides in the top two tiers of English football.

This summer Exeter sold Joel Randall for a fee of over £1m to Peterborough United while Matt Grimes, Jordan Storey and Ben Chrisene have all left for big fees in recent years.

Lee, who agreed professional terms at Exeter in the summer, trained with a number of Premier League clubs last season but Taylor feels staying at City is best for his career right now.

"There was interest towards the end of last season and he spent a lot of time training at top level clubs last season to get a feel for it," Taylor said.

"But I don't think there's many keepers getting his exposure, his game time, but also his training time as well, training with the first-team players every single day."

Lee's exposure has so far been limited to the Papa John's Trophy and under-23s and reserve team matches, although he has been on the bench for the Grecians this season in League Two.

Taylor is hopeful that he will be able to loan Lee out to a non-league club later this season and says he has rare physical attributes for a player who is so young.

"For 16 there's not many keepers of his size and his ilk," he added. "He looks composed and doesn't look flustered, and for a 16-year-old in nets that's an incredible thing to say.

"He'll have his ups and downs in the next few seasons and the next few months, we've just got to support him through that because we feel there's going to be an outstanding goalkeeper there, and there already is for his age.

"It's great that he gets exposure in the cup games, but to play a consistent run of games in League Two would be a really big ask for any 16-year-old, let alone a goalkeeper.

"But he's not far away and he'll gain more experience in the next week with games and in the coming months, so he's not far away from gaining that trust that you need for a first-team manager to say 'you're going to play and I'm going to keep on playing you' because he's got a size about him and a presence about him."