Words John Edwards

Neil Gibson has cast an eye to the future by signing highly-rated youngsters Yassine Toure and Mikey Stone after running the rule over them at Altrincham's Egerton training ground for the past couple of months.

Both players have accepted terms for the rest of this season, and while 19-year old Yassine, son of former Arsenal and Manchester City centre-back Kolo Toure, is immediately going out on loan to a Northern Premier League West side, versatile midfielder Mikey is in contention for a place in the Robins' squad away to Aldershot Town on Saturday.

Yassine is a powerful right-sided attacker who recently played at youth and Reserve team level for Wrexham, while Wythenshawe-born Mikey (21) would have been spending this season with Hamilton Academicals but for a transfer embargo on the Scottish League One promotion contenders scuppering that arrangement.

"Mikey is a really exciting talent," said Alty boss Neil. "He is a young lad with bundles of enthusiasm and energy that he channels into a high work-rate.

"He is a high-intensity player who can operate in multiple positions as an attacking option in wide areas and centrally. He has a fantastic attitude and has trained really well with us after his disappointment up in Scotland with Hamilton, when a transfer embargo left him looking for a club with the season already underway.

"He is a local boy from the Wythenshawe area, and he fully deserves his contract with us after really impressing with us in training over the last six weeks.

"I'm looking forward to working with him, and we feel there is a  lot of potential there for him to try to force his way into the first team squad reckoning over the next couple of months.

"Yassine also has a lot of potential. He has a huge amount of physical prowess. He is very strong, and, in one-on-one duels, he is quick, pacey.

"There is an area of his game that needs tidying up and he needs to learn men's football, so we are looking to give him some game time with other clubs, be it loan or dual registration. We will work with him over the next few months to try to improve him to a point where he can compete for a first-team place.

"He is still only young, and he has a good pedigree in terms of his time at Wrexham. His attitude in training has been fantastic. He has worked really hard, and he looks like someone who, over the next six to 12 months, we could mould into a good National League footballer.

"So, we are talking about two exciting prospects, young lads we can possibly develop into first team players, which can only be beneficial for the club, moving forward."

Yassine, who shows the same drive and commitment on the pitch that his father always did, had spells in the Academies of Celtic and Leicester City, the latter awarding him a two-year scholarship in 2022, before gaining experience of senior football with the Reserve team at Wrexham.

Prior to his time at Hamilton being cut short through no fault of his own, all-action midfielder Mikey made a favourable impression at Huddersfield Town, where then-manager Darren Moore named him on the bench for a couple of first-team games at 19-years old, and explained:

"He's got an incredible desire and temperament, and a self-confidence. He can't do enough. He puts others first before himself and he's prepared to do the hard yards.

"He's got a really great energy about him. He's got a pass in him and he's happy to break play up and offload the ball, and once he's done one action he follows it up with a secondary one. If he sets an attack off, he wants to get on the end of it.

"He's stepped into the first team, and the seniors respect him for the person he is and the player. When you see him gel into the group as instantly as he has, it's a wonderful attribute to have. I had no hesitation in including him in the squad."

On behalf of everyone at The J.Davidson Stadium, a warm welcome to the club, both Yassine and Mikey, and all the best for a happy and successful time in Altrincham colours.