Jason Pearce was full of praise for Deji Elerewe after the young defender made his Charlton Athletic league debut last night.

The 17-year-old is the latest highly-rated player to come through the clubs academy and he has really impressed boss Nigel Adkins in pre-season, with the boss deciding to put the teenager in the first-team squad.

Having played in the League Cup defeat to AFC Wimbledon last week, Elerewe was handed minutes in the league for the first time in his career last night, coming on as a half-time sub in the 2-1 defeat at MK Dons.

Whilst he couldn't help the team to three points, the youngster did show why there is a lot of hype around him, as he defended well and showed composure in key moments.

And, his display clearly caught the eye of skipper Pearce, who took to Twitter to deliver a positive assessment of Elerewe's big moment.

"Taking every step in his stride. What a talent Charlton have."

Elerewe will hope his performance has put him in with a chance of starting against Wigan at The Valley this weekend.

The verdict

Firstly, you have to say that it's fantastic to see Adkins giving the defender a chance considering his age, and the player deserves huge credit as he has clearly shone in pre-season and is training well.

Elerewe has mentioned the influence of Pearce recently and having a senior professional like that in your position is going to be great for his development.

Now, it's down to the youngster to keep building and progressing, which will mean that more opportunities come his way this season.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.