Town boss Roy Keane says central defender Tom Eastman could be the next academy player to progress into the first team. The Colchester-born 18-year-old is set to be offered his first professional contract this summer.

Keane says he has been delighted with 6ft 3in tall Eastman’s progress in the U18s and reserves this season: ”He’s been excellent. He’ll be training with us this morning. He’s doing very well, he’s a good lad, he’s got a good attitude and he played well again the other night for the reserves.

“The boy’s got a chance. He’s a decent player, very level-headed, good on the ball, can head it and has scored a couple of goals in the last couple weeks. Tom’s doing very well and I’ve been very impressed with him.”

The Blues boss says Eastman could follow Connor Wickham into the first team before the end of this season: “Why not? But all the young lads must be thinking the same. He’ll train with us this morning, maybe Troy Brown as well and a lot of the young kids that are pushing, even the U18s. Luke Hyam’s doing really well.

“We’re delighted with the young lads coming through, but whether they ever go on and do well is the big question mark. A lot of them have a good chance.

“Getting a contract’s easy, getting in the first team’s the hard part. Any half-decent player gets a contract, that’s the easy part.”

Meanwhile, Keane says two players are suffering with knocks which might keep them out of Saturday’s crucial home game with Scunthorpe but refused to reveal their identities at his Friday press conference.

The Blues boss expects no loans in or out in the near future, despite having received an enquiry last week: “There’ll be no comings or goings this week unless something drastic happens over the weekend. I don’t see too much action.”

Elsewhere, former Blue Gavin Williams has joined Yeovil Town on a month's loan from Bristol City. Williams was previously at Huish Park between 2002 and 2004.

Ex-Town reserve Ashley Nicholls has joined Blue Square South side Eastleigh from Newport County.

Photo: Action Images

trueblues78 added 11:21 - Mar 12 Well done and good luck. We need more young lads doing the same
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Wallingford_Boy added 11:39 - Mar 12 "Grandad" looks a real prospect, as do Hyam.... not so sure about young Troy Brown though.... Give 'em a go Keane, not got anything to play for now, so might as well.
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itfc1981 added 11:41 - Mar 12 'Any half-decent player gets a contract' sounds like something else Keaneo once said about managers!
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devontractorboy added 11:43 - Mar 12 Wallingford "Nothing to play for" how about staying in the Championship?
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Wallingford_Boy added 11:46 - Mar 12 Devontractorboy - haha good one, I should think we will be mid-table in a few weeks, fear not!
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itfc1981 added 11:47 - Mar 12 Wallingford, I think trying to stay up counts as somthing to play for dont you?
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devontractorboy added 11:54 - Mar 12 Thanks Wallingford I feel so much better now, are you available if Keane gets sacked?
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Wallingford_Boy added 12:06 - Mar 12 Oh for goodness sake, does anyone REALLY believe we will be dragged back into the relegation battle?! Hardly!!
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pitseablue added 12:33 - Mar 12 Sorry Wallingford, we are nowhere safe yet ! But when we are then Keano should give the young players a run. If he played a couple of them tomorrow and we only got a draw he would rightly get slaughtered !!!
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Superfrans added 12:46 - Mar 12 Reality is, we won't be safe for a while yet unless we win our next four matches. And even if we do, we need to maintain our form into close season so we can start next season with a settled side, confident, in decent form and target play-offs from the start. All this "nothing to play for, lets try some youngsters" doesn't work in a division as competitive as this. If Eastman does well enough to slip ahead of one of our other centre halves, that's fine. But I can't see that happening this season, unless we get two or three injuries and Tommy Smith is still out on loan. Tommy's the one for next season - he should be pushing Delaney and McAuley for a first team place come August.

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ITFCKeano added 13:17 - Mar 12 My old man has been to quite a few of young Thomas' games and reckons he's a brick wall of a defender. Nice guy too from meeting him. Heard nothing but good things about him as a player. Good luck to him.
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muhrensleftfoot added 13:17 - Mar 12 Gavin Williams - what a waste of talent. He should have done so much better in his pro career, but too many injuries & attitude problems - such as the infamous Amsterdam trip. I reckon he could have been a Premier League regular if only he'd applied himself better
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TractorRoyNo1 added 13:54 - Mar 12 He's a good lad, got a bit of the Terry Butcher about him.
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Wallingford_Boy added 14:04 - Mar 12 Smith isn't in the same league as Eastman.... Smith has found his level, Grandad is different gravy.
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tractordamage added 02:57 - Mar 13 Blimey....Keane seems to love the height 6'3" ? Especially in central defence. Next season maybe we'll have a team full of players who are all exactly 6'3"...............at least Wickham is 6'3" (phew) But yes....er....a weird thing to notice I suppose.
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