A KoolSport Northern Counties East League manager has been speaking to BarrettSportsWriting about one of his former players who continues to enjoy life in the Football League.

Oli Johnson, who has just joined League One side Yeovil Town on loan from Norwich City, began life with Nostell Miners Welfare three seasons ago.

Having impressed in a trial, the then 20-year-old made a meteoric rise up the football ladder to join Stockport County before making his move to Carrow Road in 2010.

Nostell fans continue to follow Johnson's career with huge interest, as does his former boss at the Welfare Ground, Alan Colquhoun.

He remembers when Johnson first joined the club, saying: "He was very young, he had just been let go by both Ossett Town and Ossett Albion and I knew his dad quite well so asked him along.

"He was a good lad, very quick but sometimes we couldn't get the best out of him because of the sticky pitches we play on.

"Even when he left us for Stockport he wasn't a first team regular."

He was noticed by the Edgeley Park side when Nostell played them in a mid-season friendly and, despite only a short appearance, did enough to impress them.

Colquhoun said: "We had a big FA Vase game that I was going to start him in, so he only played 15 minutes against Stockport.

"But, after the game, their assistant asked to have a look at him and two weeks later I had a call saying they were going to offer him a contract."

His former manager admitted that, whilst no-one ever doubted Johnson's talent, it was only ever evident when around players of a similar level.

"He got frustrated, he was sometimes ahead of the game, making runs that others didn't see. He needed daily coaching, professional facilities and players at his own level," he said.

His temporary move to Yeovil is something that Colquhoun believes will do Johnson good, saying, "Paul Lambert has him in his plans, but he's only had twenty minutes from the bench this season so he just needed games, he can really add something to a team."