Huddersfield Town's new coaching team are aiming to help Danish midfielder Phil Billing become a Championship regular at the John Smith’s next season.
Mark Robins will have assistant manager Steve Thompson and sports science chief Allan Stewart working closely with the 17-year-old prospect, who featured on the bench a couple of times and made one appearance as a sub.
Billing, who will be 18 next week, played a prominent part in helping the Under 18s win their Development League and reach he quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup last season and, following his outing against champions Leicester City in the senior side, he’s one the staff will be keeping tabs on when the squad return for pre-season training on July 1.
Boss Robins – yet to strike for a target in the summer transfer market – rates the former Esbjerg player highly.
“I involved Phil last season because I wanted him to sample the atmosphere and environment of the first team and give him a taste at that level,” said Robins.
“He is a good player and he’s going to be a very decent player as long as he keeps his head down and keeps on working hard. Now he’s finished his scholarship and is looking to the professional ranks, we want to give him every opportunity, because he definitely has ability.”
Billing, who is 6ft 4in tall, is contracted with Town to 2017 and the club have the option of signing him for an extra year.
“It was good to get him into a first-team game last season because he played well for the Under 18s and in the Youth Cup,” added the boss.
“Phil has done a lot of growing already and he’s still growing into his body, but he’s a very, very intelligent footballer and you can’t have too many of those.”
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