Jokanovic urges 15-year-old Elliott to seize his opportunity

Elliot, aged just 15 years and 174 days, was called from the bench with a little under 10 minutes to go after goals from Joe Bryan, Luca de la torre and Cyrus Christie had put the 'Cottagers' in the driving seat.

Speaking after the game, Jokanovic said he had been impressed with what he had seen and urged the youngster to seize his first-team chance.

“He is definitely a talented kid. At the end he showed some of the quality. We believe in opportunities to test at the senior level," he enthused.

“He moved the ball with quality and showed some speed. It’s a great opportunity for him. We believe the future can be bright ahead of him. [But] he must be at school [on Thursday] morning.

“He had some exams [earlier on Tuesday]. He didn’t know [he had a chance of being involved] I didn’t want to put him in any trouble. I gave him the opportunity to test himself at this level.

“I don’t know if I can in English use a wrong word but he is arrogant and positive. This kid shows the personality, like he says ‘I want to show you I am a very good player; I want to show you’.

“I say, ‘Okay, if you can show me I give you this opportunity’. A huge gap is ahead of him for improvement and to grow up and to be part of this profession.”