Deji Elerewe

Elerewe has come up the hard way for a young centre back, spending loan spells in non league football rather than a smooth academy path into the first team. Those loans forced him to defend against experienced, physical opponents in matches that mattered for results, exactly the kind of education that toughens up a young defender quickly. He made his senior debut for Lincoln from the bench before earning a first start soon after, a rapid promotion once ready.

The tension around any defender this early in his career is obvious, since positioning and decision making at pace usually take time a young player has not yet had. Mistakes that get punished harshly at a higher level might have gone unnoticed further down the pyramid. Lincoln clearly believe the raw tools are there, and it is a question of how quickly the game slows down for him.