Ipswich Town loan star Omari Hutchinson has spoken fondly about the moment he impressed football icon Pele.
Ipswich Town recruited 20-year-old talent Hutchinson from Chelsea in the summer, bringing him in on a season-long loan as they aim to win a second successive promotion. He has played in 15 of Town’s 16 Championship games so far, contributing one goal and three assists.
Those performances have helped propel the Tractor Boys to 2nd place in the Championship table, level on points with top of the table Leicester City and eight points clear of 3rd placed Leeds United.
Hutchinson has been touted as a top prospect for the future and his Ipswich Town displays have shown glimpses of why. Now, he’s shared how his abilities were spotted at a very young age by Pele when he played in a youth football tournament as a 12-year-old.
Hutchinson told the Ipswich Star:
“Pele was there as a guest. When the tournament finished, one boy got picked from every team to put on a bit of a show with their various skills. I actually sat next to Pele and there’s a picture of us together. He said he was impressed with my skills.
“It was a special moment for me because my grandma was always saying I reminded her of Pele.”
The ideal loan
The fact that Pele was impressed with Hutchinson shows that he has had plenty of talent from a young age, and he is certainly showing that at Ipswich Town.
As Chelsea have such a big squad, a loan move makes sense for a talent like Hutchinson, whose game time at Stamford Bridge would be limited. At the moment, there seems no better team for an attacking player to join than Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich, who have scored 36 goals and are the top scorers in the Championship.
The attacking football played by the team will surely encourage more players to want to join the club, and Hutchinson is an example of that. The guaranteed playing time will no doubt also help in that regard.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Hutchinson come the end of the season. Chelsea will no doubt be watching his progress with interest. At the moment though, the attacking midfielder has an important role to play with Ipswich Town and will be eager to continue his impressive development over the rest of the season.
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