Planet Swans ArchivesRoberto Martinez Says He Is Proud Of The Way That Joe Allen has matured as speculation over a potential Liverpool move increases
Martinez told the Western Mail “It’ll be exciting for Team GB to have such a strong character and a winner in the middle of the park
“Obviously I gave Joe his debut at Swansea at 16 and since then he has developed into a top, top footballer.
“He is a player who will get even better as he gets older and stronger, but his tactical awareness is already there.
“He’s still very young, but sometimes you need to put players in a position where they will be challenged and Joe reached that point very early in his development.
“Whatever the challenge Joe always finds a way to be himself, because he has a tactical knowledge and awareness that allows him to do that.
“He is capable of being anything he wants to be and I have been so proud of the way he has matured as a footballer.
“Joe is very, very similar in terms of mentality to Tom Cleverley. Both are perfect examples of allowing young players who have the talent to thrive.
“It’s great to see someone like Tom, who we all saw develop with Wigan Athletic, getting his chance on the big stage.
“I really feel Team GB has as good a chance as any team of doing well at this Olympic Games.
“They haven’t played together much but they are all talented players, many with Premier League experience, and I don’t think it’ll be a problem for them to perform well.”
