THE Saints trialist who scored for the under-18s side on his first appearance has been identified as Reading talent Princewill Ehibhatiomhan, the Daily Echo understands.
A 16-year-old forward, Ehibhatiomhan scored six goals in 13 matches for the Royals in the Under-18 Premier League last campaign.
He is an England youth international with a handful of appearances at under-17 and under-18 level, including scoring his first goal versus Romania last year.
The Daily Echo understands Ehibhatiomhan has been trialling with Saints, playing and scoring a superb goal in their eventual 3-2 defeat at Crystal Palace at the weekend.
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It had been reported by The Secret Scout that the youngster was on trial at Chelsea earlier in the summer, after rejecting a new deal at Reading.
Reading’s academy has taken a hit this season after the Premier League reassigned them from category one to category two, meaning they now instead compete in the Professional Development League.
At 16-years-old, any fee to acquire Ehibhatiomhan would be based on development and training years at Reading and he could not have a professional deal ratified until he turns 17 next month.
Ehibhatiomhan had been identified as one of the most promising players in his age group and is seemingly already close with the likes of Tyler Dibling.
It remains to be seen whether Saints pursue a permanent deal for the versatile forward, and if a deal can be struck.
Saints have already added 16-year-old striker Sam Amo-Ameyaw from Tottenham Hotspur this summer, with the youngster playing for both Dave Horseman and Mikey Harris’ academy sides.
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