Thumbs up for ‘boot-boy’ Vassell

THEO VASSELL

THEO Vassell has been backed to be a star of the future by the man whose boots he used to clean.

Stoke City legend Ricardo Fuller, now a team-mate of the 18-year-old centre-back at Athletic, couldn’t believe Vassell was released by the Premier League club’s academy at the end of last season. His view was echoed by another of his former colleagues, encouraging manager David Dunn to take a plunge on a player Fuller believes has the ingredients to be a success.

“Theo was my boot-boy at Stoke and it was good to see him again,” Fuller said. “I knew of his situation and thought Stoke had made a mistake.

“There is nothing to lose. He is free and he has everything — he is tall, is two-footed, reads the game well and is aggressive. He just needs someone to develop him.”

Vassell, who made the bench against Burton last week, will probably do the same again at Mansfield tomorrow due to the loss of Jonathan Burn.