Town manager Paul Hurst has praised loanee Matthew Pennington, who has impressed him greatly since joining the Blues for the season from Everton on deadline day.

“He’s got a fantastic attitude, I can’t speak highly enough of him,” Hurst said. “I think there was a player from Everton on loan here last year, Callum Connolly, and I think they’re very, very similar by all accounts in terms of attitude and the way they conduct themselves,

“Excellent young pros, credit to themselves and probably to Everton Football Club as well. I think he’s done very well since he joined us just before the deadline.”

Having played at centre-half in his first three games for Town, Pennington switched to right-back against Bolton last week, a role Hurst believes the 23-year-old is well capable of playing.

“Yes, I think so,” he added. “It depends exactly what you’re wanting. Maybe something that you wouldn’t automatically pick up on and know as a fan is how fit he is.

“He’s an extremely fit player, he gets up and down the pitch extremely well and I spoke to manager that had worked with him before and he had said he did a really good job for him at right-back.

“So I think he’s definitely got that in his locker, but initially he was signed as a centre-back admittedly, but given how well he’d done, and with other things to consider in terms of the make-up of the team, we’d got to be strong in certain areas, perhaps if he wasn’t in there against Bolton last week I thought we might struggle in certain departments.

“Yes, he can certainly do that but at the same time I fully aware we’ve got another couple of lads that want to be considered as well.”

Photo: TWTD

rfretwell added 18:13 - Sep 27 Our defenders need to chip in with 4 goals each like Berra, Chambo and Smith did - need to help out our barren midfield and attack. God knows how we r going to stay up.
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htb added 19:03 - Sep 27 Please don't play a centre half at right back it hasn't worked in the past and didn't work on Saturday. Donacien or Emmanuel for me.
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rugbytomc added 19:29 - Sep 27 Agree htb. Chambo is fit but a terrible right back
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shakytown added 07:18 - Sep 28 HTB It has to be Donacien then As Emmanuel is on a season loan to shrewsbury and will probably never play for us again. Sad times at PR.
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bobble added 09:06 - Sep 28 lets hope we hear some stuff about his signings scoring heaps of goals and winning games very soon................otherwise he has decimated and average squad to turn it into a extremely poor squad......his time to prove himself is running out fast bu if he comes good we will support him..
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TimmyH added 13:03 - Sep 28 Can't speak low enough about the other players he's brought in... Let's face it although only played 4 games he is one of the few bright sparks (and surprise surprise he's a loanee from the Premiership.)
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mathiemagic added 14:07 - Sep 28 Has to be played at CB not RB. We have Donacian or Emmanuel for that role. The choice has to be either Nsiala or Chambo to drop to the bench.
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