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Sky Sports Scout - Jason Steele

Sky Sports Scout is where we scour the globe looking for the best talent, next up is Jason Steele.

We run the rule over Middlesbrough's Jason Steele

Sky Sports Scout is our exciting feature where we scour the globe looking out for the best talent and bring you a report on what we find. Our Scout will report back and you can comment on what you think of our appraisal. Also, in association with Football Manager, we give all readers the chance to win a copy of the latest game by nominating a player. You can only nominate a player by emailing here, including the word 'Scout' in your subject line and please check to make sure we haven't already covered the player! Should your player get reviewed by our scout, and you were first to send in his name, then you will win a copy of Football Manager 2010. Latest under our scout's gaze is Middlesbrough youngster Jason Steele - recommended by Sky Sports reader Jenny Franks.

The scout reports...

Jason Steele has burst onto the first-team scene at Middlesbrough and now the Sky Sports Scout takes his opportunity to check on the highly-rated goalkeeper. Often with goalkeepers it can be hard to make the breakthrough and a stroke of luck is required to prove themselves in the first-team picture, which is just what has happened for Steele. Danny Coyne picked up an injury while Brad Jones was on the brink of his loan move to Liverpool so, for Boro's Carling Cup clash at Chesterfield, Steele was handed his debut and he excelled in the 2-1 win. He then, surprisingly to some, kept his place for the subsequent league clash at Leicester and kept a clean sheet. Now it looks like the No.1 jersey at The Riverside is his to lose. Steele, a graduate of Boro's famed academy, has long been heralded as a great hope for the future after being called up for England at Under 16, Under 17, Under 19 and Under 21 level. He was given his first taste of first-team football at Northampton Town last season and he returned to Boro with a glowing report. It was his experiences while with Northampton that obviously pushed him into Gordon Strachan's plans, and the Boro boss has been full of praise for his new keeper. With Joe Hart now the England No.1 it is very easy to compare any new keeper on the scene to him, but in this case, the similarities are telling. Excellent hands and brilliant shot-stopping are the stock of any keeper, but like with Hart and many modern goalkeepers, Steele's distribution - both with hands and feet - is first class. Some onlookers could suggest that Steele's positioning is not yet what it should be, but at 20 he is still growing and is becoming more of a presence seemingly with every game.

The scout says...

Without doubt an outstanding prospect and if he manages to keep hold of the starting role, he could quickly become a fixture in Boro's future. However, good young English keepers are at a premium and if Boro do not get back to the Premier League soon they could struggle to hold on to him.

The Scout rating...

Handling: 8 out of 10 Kicking: 8 out of 10 Agility: 8 out of 10 Judgement: 7 out of 10 Positioning: 7 out of 10 Shots: 7 out of 10 Current ability: 8 out of 10 Potential ability: 10 out of 10 OVERALL SCOUT RATING: 63/80 Current value: £2million Potential value: £8million
Your opinion...
You have read our opinion of Jason Steele - now we want your views. Have you seen Jason Steele in action? Do you agree with our assessment? Do you think he will make it? And if you have spotted anyone you think we should feature then please get in touch using the same form. We will look to send out the Scout to follow up some of your leads.