Stowmarket Town ace George Quantrell on trial with The Posh

Rick Andrews says it was ‘just a matter of time’ before Stowmarket Town’s teenage star George Quantrell went on trial with a professional club.

The midfielder, who turned 17 in August, has spent this week on trial with Sky Bet League One outfit Peterborough United, and is due to play for the club’s under-18s away at Gillingham tomorrow (10.30am) in the EFL Youth Alliance.

Stow manager Andrews handed Quantrell his debut for the Old Gold & Blacks back in February this year, then as a 16-year-old, and the teenager has since racked up 35 appearances for the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division leaders, scoring seven times.

“It’s brilliant for George and it’s brilliant for the club as well,” Andrews said.

“He’s been training with Peterborough’s under-18s all this week and is playing for their under-18s on Saturday against Gillingham. It was just a matter of time before it happened.

He deserves it. He’s a hell of a player and I hope he grasps this opportunity with both hands.

“When Peterborough got in contact with us, we were never going to turn them away.

“George deserves this opportunity and we’ll see where it goes from here. I do know there are other clubs that are looking at him, and it’s great for George.

“It shows other players out there that these chances will come and I hope George takes the opportunity given to him.”

Quantrell became an almost-instant crowd favourite with the Greens Meadow faithful, scoring a 90th-minute winner against Brantham Athletic in the Suffolk Premier Cup quarter-finals, in what was only his second start for the club.

But the youngster caught the eye of Peterborough while playing against them for Dereham Town Under-18s (joint registered), in the first round of the FA Youth Cup, on Thursday last week.

Quantrell was among the starters for Dereham and shone in a narrow 1-0 defeat, which prompted the trial with the League One promotion chasers this week.