SUTTON United boss Paul Doswell rates young strike prospect Tommy Wright as “the best I’ve seen in a long time.”

The 21-year-old from Shirley, Southampton, is tearing up the Vanarama National League this season with ten goals in 26 appearances for the Gander Green Lane outfit.

With 1,350 playing minutes under his belt in the league this term, that equates to one goal every 135 minutes – the best scoring rate in non-League’s top flight.

Wright reached double figures by scoring Sutton’s opener in last Saturday’s 2-1 home win over Dagenham & Redbridge which left Doswell’s Us third in the table.

The ex-Otterbourne youngster intercepted a soft back-header before rounding goalkeeper Mark Cousins to score.

The coolness of that finish will come as no surprise to Salisbury fans who watched Wright tear defences apart on loan at the Ray Mac from Sutton last season.

Wright scored no fewer 52 goals in all competitions for Steve Claridge’s Whites, forming a formidable partnership with seasoned marksman Justin Bennett to propel Salisbury to the Southern One South & West play-off final.

“Tommy’s been brilliant,” said former Eastleigh boss Doswell.

“It was the right thing to send him to Salisbury. He got 52 goals and grew very confident on the back of it.”

Unsurprisingly Wright’s sharp-shooting form has not gone unnoticed by scouts from the professional ranks.

“We’ve had approaches in terms of what the situation is with him,” said Doswell.

“One Championship club and two League One clubs have been in touch.

“He’s at the top of his game at the moment and I believe he could go to the Championship now.

“But it’s more likely that clubs will watch him during the season and make a move during the summer.

“As always, we won’t stand in a player’s way of progressing.

“Tommy’s a lovely, laid-back young man with no airs and graces and no pretensions about what he could or couldn’t be.

“We signed him on the recommendation of Stuart Munro when he was Otterbourne chairman.

“Stuart and a lot of the Otterbourne lads are now at Alresford and Tommy’s still very close to them all and goes and watches games.

“In his first year with us, Tommy went out on loan to Farnborough and Staines and didn’t really pull up any trees, but since sending him to Salisbury in his second year, he looks a completely different player and is getting in our side ahead of some very good players.

“There’s at least 40 per cent of the season left and if he gets 20 goals in his first year at this level, that’ll be a great achievement.”

Wright was voted Sutton’s SUFCtv player-of-the-month for December during which he scored in a 2-0 home win over Eastleigh. He finished ahead of Craig Eastmond and ex-Spitfire Jamie Collins in the poll.