Cobblers boss Aidy Boothroyd has played down the level of expectation on loan signing Emyr Huws, who is in line to make his senior debut against Exeter City on Saturday (3pm).
The 18-year-old arrived at Sixfields for three months from Premier League champions Manchester City with a reputation as one of the bright junior talents in Welsh football, having captained the Wales under-21 side during a youth international.
Huws is also highly rated at City, for whose ‘elite development squad’ team he wore the armband on Monday night in a 1-1 draw with a Wolves second team at the Etihad Stadium.
It is hoped the teenager can have a positive effect on the injury-hit midfield at Sixfields, but Boothroyd has issued a note of caution over a player who is yet to make a senior appearance in the sport.
“I don’t want to build the kid up too much,” he said. “He’s not Pele, not yet anyway, but he’s a good young player and he’s not here for a holiday, he’s here to improve himself.
“Straight away there’s been a little lift in the dressing room because the players know there’s another good young player coming in to challenge for a place in the team.
“That will push everybody else and competition for places is the most important thing for us.”
Huws is a tall and lean central midfield player who uses both feet but is naturally left-sided; Boothroyd is likely to start him alongside Ben Tozer in the middle against Exeter but would feel confident using him in an number of roles.
“He tends to score the odd goal now and then so it’s all about how I decide to use him in the team,” he said.
“We could play him on the wing or we could play him in the centre as part of a three-man midfield or in the four or play him off the front, he can do all those things.
“When you get a player of that ilk it gives you that flexibility to play in a wide variety of positions.”
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