Mark Kennedy praised the “phenomenal” display of Tunmise Sobowale after his performance at centre-back earned him a place in the EFL Team of the Week.

Making just his second League Two start of the season, Sobowale was deployed as a right-sided centre-back despite being more naturally a right-back and having played largely as a right wing-back so far this campaign.

After putting in a terrific performance including a goal-saving challenge at 1-0, the 25-year-old was named man of the match in the game and has also earned a spot in the Team of the Week for the whole EFL.

His match rating on football stats website WhoScored of 8.38 saw him slot in alongside Carl Piergianni of Stevenage and Jason Kerr of Wigan Athletic in the back three and was one of four League Two players to make the team alongside Notts County’s Dan Crowley and the Harrogate Town pair of James Belshaw and Ellis Taylor.

 

 

His selection was explained on the EFL website: “Swindon claimed their first win of the season in fine fashion as they smashed Newport 4-0 at the Nigel Eady County Ground.

“Tunmise Sobowale earned the WhoScored.com Player of the Match award with a rating of 8.38 having stood firm at the back having made five clearances, four tackles and three interceptions.”

Kennedy was also raving about the defender after the game and the qualities he possessed, although did say that he had some improving to do.

He said: “Athletically he is phenomenal. I have said to him that if Real Madrid could build an athlete, they would build them with his shape and his size.

“He is rapid, he is strong, one-v-one he is incredible, he can take you from box-to-box, but he has to improve on his technical ability in the final third.

“I just looked at him and thought he could be a really good right-sided centre-half because he is never going to get done for pace, he is powerful and strong, and he likes defending.

“We thought that [Bobby] Kamwa would have played today, which we thought would have suited him down to the ground.

“I think that he suits that position at this point in his career better but he is good enough to play both.

“As a wing-back, he needs to improve technically but if he had the technical qualities of Will Wright then he would be playing in the Championship.”