Former Ghana youth international Ibrahim Atiku has been offered a contract by English side Swindon Town after impressing on trials.
Coach Paolo Di Canio says he has decided to offer the trialist a permanent contract after observing him for seven days.
The 28-year-old midfielder has been with the club for over a week and, like Namibia international Oliver Risser, Atiku settled in well with the rest of the players.
Atiku has looked useful at the pre-season training camp so far and though Di Canio already has a wealth of options in midfield, the Town boss could potentially be looking at alternative positions for the former Ghana youth international, having utilised him just behind the main striker in an inter-squad practice match yesterday.
And Di Canio has been impressed with what he has seen of Atiku so far and is hopeful he and Risser will sign contracts with the club in the coming days.
“Atiku is a good professional and he is a player who can help us a lot,†Di Canio said.
“He has a lot of quality and sometimes you can see he likes to joke, but on the pitch you can see he is focused as a player.
“They (Atiku and Risser) already feel a part of the squad. For them it is like they have been here for 20 years and the club is in their skin.â€
A contract is already on the table for Risser, with the player and Di Canio waiting for interim chairman Jeremy Wray and Nick Watkins to arrive in Norcia this week to complete the formalities of the deal.
Atiku was rated as one of the most talented players in the world after out shining Michael Essien after the U17 World Cup in New Zealand.
The move to England could be the opportunity for him to prove to the world his talents after sojourns in Sweden, Israel and Greece.
Atiku’s story is a quite remarkable story of misfortune that has meant one of the great young hopes of Ghanaian football at the turn of the century is now without a club and trying out in the fourth tier in England.
Atiku trialed with Manchester United with friend Michael Essien after impressing in the Under 17 World Cup in 1999.
Although he was not successful in earning a contract he was soon taken on by German Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund, and was told he was to be awarded a youth team contract after he received his work permit.