Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and Brighton could sign the new Harry Maguire in Grimsby Town starlet Mattie Pollock, according to the Mail.
Cast your minds back to April 2011 and an 18-year-old centre-back was coming off the bench to make his professional debut in the red and white stripes of Sheffield United.
Right from day one, Maguire looked like a man with the ability and attitude rarely seen in someone so young and inexperienced.
Eight years after that Man of the Match performance in a 2-0 home defeat to Cardiff, the Sheffield-born powerhouse was on his way to Old Trafford, becoming the most expensive defender in football history along the way.
Pollock, then, has a long way to go before he matches the achievements of an England international and Manchester United captain.
But, having captained League Two Grimsby at the age of just 17, Pollock clearly has one thing in common with Maguire – he is a natural-born leader, on and off the pitch.
“It’s always a dream to captain any team, and to do it for the team you’ve come through with is a real dream,” Pollock told Grimsby Live in typically assured style last year.
“Captain or not, you’ve still got to put in the same performance, and try and lead regardless of whether you’ve got the armband or not.”
Former Mariners boss Michael Jolley certainly felt that a man compared to Maguire can follow in the footsteps of the £80 million powerhouse (Grimsby Live).
“He is terrific,” Jolley said. “We know what he is, we know what he is going to be and he is doing really well. He has a big future.”
With Sheffield United interested, Pollock could soon be unveiled at the club who gave Maguire his chance as a little-known teenager all those years ago.
Crystal Palace and Brighton are interested too, with the Eagles hoping to reduce the average age of the Premier League’s second-oldest squad.
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