“We’ve hit the jackpot” – Stockport County lauded for Louie Barry replacement | OneFootball

All the early signs are positive for the Hatters’ latest bright spark

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

The early signs could not be better for Stockport County’s signing of Icelandic striker Benony Breki Andresson.

The 19-year-old arrived at Edgeley Park in the winter window from KR Reykjavik, where he broke the Icelandic top-flight scoring record, notching 21 goals in 26 games.

It was felt to be a signing for the future, but Andresson is already off the mark for the Hatters, with three goals in five League One appearances, topped off recently with a brace in Iceland U21s 6-1 dismantling of Scotland’s youth side.

We asked our Stockport Fan Pundit, James, whether he feels his club have hit the jackpot with Andresson, and whether there are any fears he could be poached this summer.

Andresson backed to remain at Stockport, despite lightning start

Speaking to Football League World, James said: “With Benony Breki Andresson, do I think we've hit the jackpot? Yes, in all honesty, yes, I do.

“I think you can see from his finishing ability that he is an old-school striker. He's not a false nine. He gets into the right positions, and he can finish, his finishing is so good and it's so clinical.

“I mean, he did miss a chance. I think it was away at Bolton, that he missed a good chance, but it was it was still difficult.

“But against Blackpool, he comes off the bench and just those two goals are immense. The amount of composure he had to score those two goals was absolutely amazing.

“Now, whether I think they'll be vultures circling this summer? No, I don't. Simply because he's only just arrived in England and he still hasn't settled in.

“I mean, he has scored three goals, but [Dave] Challinor has said that he's not up to match fitness yet.

“So, I can't see him being sold this summer. I mean, it'll be a very, very big surprise if he was sold this summer.

“In the future, when he's 22-23 years old, I reckon he'll be playing at the top end of the Championship.

“Whether that's with us, I don't know. I'll be honest, I can't see it being with us, but this summer he definitely has another year with us. I'm pretty much certain that he has another year with us.

“If we go up this season, I don't think that’d be great for his career because I don't think he’d get game time in the Championship, I really don't. He's not up to it yet.

“But if we stay down this season and next season, he absolutely rips up League One, my word, we may get purged, you never know: 20-year-old striker with 30-plus goals in League One, he's going to attract interest.

“He probably is attracting some level of interest, but I think these clubs can see that he needs more development for them to be sure about signing him.

“So yeah, he definitely has another season with us, and I do think we've hit the jackpot, and I'm so happy he's here.”

Andresson could be the answer to Stockport’s goalscoring issue next term

There’s been plenty of talk at Edgeley Park about needing an out-and-out goalscoring striker in recent months.

Aside from Louie Barry, who returned to Aston Villa from his loan at Stockport in January, no player has hit double figures for goals in League One this season.

It clearly hasn’t been a major issue, with County still firmly in the play-off frame in their first season since promotion from League Two, but that naturally leads to thoughts of where they could be with a clinical finisher.

As James states, the Championship might be a step too far, too soon, for Andresson, but another season in the third tier could really allow him to find his feet, while addressing the Hatters’ lack of a relentless goal-getter.

Already, with just five league games under his belt, he’s entered the top five of County’s top scorers.