'When he started pressing defenders they were scared of him'

Yankuba Minteh celebrates goal for FeyenoordImage source, Getty Images
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New Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh is "lightning quick" but has learned how to "control" his game, says Dutch football writer Lentin Goodijk.

The 19-year-old joined the club from Newcastle United in June in a £30m five-year deal.

The Magpies signed Minteh from Danish club Odense in June 2023 but he did not make a first-team appearance for the club.

He spent last season on loan at Dutch club Feyenoord, scoring 10 goals in 27 league games while also finding the net against Celtic in the Champions League.

"I followed Feyenoord at a training camp a year ago in the summer in Austria and he was one of the players that stood out in different ways because he was not so much a controlled player at the time," Goodijk told BBC Radio Sussex.

"I think one year ago he was still playing in Africa and then he went to Denmark for a season and then he went to to Feyenoord and was playing in the Champions League which was a huge leap.

"He is lightning quick and you could see in those pre-season games when he started pressing defenders they were scared of him when he had the ball and looking back at where he was again.

"He surprised a lot players in pre-season and Arne Slot liked the fact that not only was he providing depth and goals but he was really putting the effort in the press as well. So he was a great player but he had to learn a lot of things and during the season he got more and more control in his actions."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds