Not many footballers make their league debut at 16 years old, which made William Bapaga’s three-minute cameo appearances away at Bolton Wanderers last season a significant moment in a game many Coventry City fans would otherwise forget. The young forward looked reasonably comfortable while on the pitch with the first-team, driving forward with the ball as we searched in vain for a late winning goal. Bapaga’s subsequent experience last season came in the EFL Trophy, again, showing some promising touches with the ball and causing a few problems for opposition defenders.
As he is so young, there is little pressure or expectation on Bapaga’s to make a further breakthrough this season. From reports from his coaches, Bapaga is yet to fully nail down his best position, having played as both a winger and as a central striker for the youth-teams. It would seem that the next year or so is about Bapaga honing his strengths as a footballer and looking to command a starting role in the under-23 side. While it was an achievement in and of itself to have made his first-team debut at such a young age, it would seem there is some crucial phases in his development for Bapaga to go through before he begin to add to that one league appearance for the club.
Sideways Sammy 