Birmingham City boss Garry Monk has revealed he is delighted with youngster Charlie Lakin and compared the teenager to his former player Joe Allen.

Lakin has made a positive impression for Blues this season and was rewarded with his first start in the goalless draw against Sheffield United in the week.

The 19-year-old played 88 minutes and impressed in what was a strong performance from Blues and Monk told Birmingham Live the qualities he feels the player has.

"He (Lakin) is level-headed. He is humble and he has a work ethic needed to become a professional footballer and have sustainability. You have to have those characteristics, I feel they are most important."

Then, the former Swansea boss went on to compare Lakin to Allen, who has played 44 times for Wales and spent a few years with Liverpool.

"He reminds me very much of when Joe Allen burst through at Swansea. Same characteristics, same type, same height, same build, same technically."

"Of course he has got a lot of work to reach those standards but he has got the work ethic, humility and ability to do that."

Lakin is sure to be involved today as Blues look for the first win of the season at league leaders Leeds.

The Verdict

Lakin is a promising talent and Blues fans will be delighted to see the youngster emerge and will hope he can make a big impact.

Clearly, Monk is a huge fan and comparing him to Allen will do Lakin's confidence a lot of good.

However, Lakin will understand that he has a lot to work on and will continue to listen to Monk in order to develop his game further.

Thoughts, Blues fans? Let us know in the comments below.

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