South African youngster Emile Witbooi is reportedly having a great time at English Premier League club Chelsea.
The 16-year-old is currently on a month-long trial with the Premier League club from Cape Town City and after two weeks, it has been revealed that he is progressing well.
Cape Town chairman John Comitis told Soccer Laduma that the midfielder has had a positive start to his stint in London where he is being monitored by Chelsea as he trains with the junior side.
Witbooi enjoying his time in London
“Everything is going very well. He is enjoying himself there. You know he is training with the Under-16s but plays with the Under-18s. That’s very good,” said Comitis.
“He is having a good time but they are still looking at him. So, for now, it is still very early to say what’s going to happen but it's good to know that he is doing well and enjoying himself. That is the most important thing at the moment.”
Comitis, however, says it is still too early to give judgment on the player while calling for people to manage their expectations, to avoid putting the youngster under pressure.
“He is supposed to be there for a month and it's like two weeks only and it’s soon to judge. Let’s not rush him and put pressure on him. This is just an assessment for the future,” he added.
Will Chelsea snap up the Cape Town youngster?
“As I said before, he is only 16 years of age at the moment and things can really only happen when he is 18 in England. But so far, things are going on well with him. We are happy, he is happy and Chelsea are happy. That’s what we want to hear.”
Witbooi has been a revelation for both South Africa and Cape Town with his massive talent attracting scouts from the Premier League giants and he will hope to impress and become the latest youngster from Mzansi to switch to Europe.
The 16-year-old helped South Africa win at the COSAFA U20 tournament in October to secure their place at the upcoming U20 Africa Cup of Nations.
