Middlesbrough have completed the signing of young midfielder Brayden Johnson, who says he's been told his style resembles a mix of Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo and former Chelsea man N'Golo Kante.

Johnson has enjoyed an excellent first season in full-time football at Eastbourne Borough in National League South and was scouted by numerous EFL and Premier League clubs, notably Ipswich, West Ham and QPR. But Boro have won the 18-year-old's signature, and he will move from East Sussex to initially join Boro's under-21 squad.

Johnson only joined Eastbourne in the summer after a successful trial period. He was spotted playing in step six of the English pyramid, which is the equivalent of the Northern League second division. A big, strong, combative midfielder, Johnson has impressed this term, making 24 appearances, with one goal and two assists as Borough occupy a play-off spot currently and sit just three points off the top of the table.

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WATCH: Brayden Johnson Eastbourne Borough highlights

Johnson was recommended to head of academy recruitment Martin Carter - who has had numerous success stories finding players in the capital and bringing them to Boro, including Djed Spence and Isaiah Jones. He watched Johnson closely before suggesting him to Boro, with head of recruitment Chris Jones then also taking a close look before Boro decided to make their move. Given his limited experience of full-time football and the huge step up, Johnson will initially join the under-21 squad, but will be closely monitored by Michael Carrick and first-team coaches, who take a keen eye on academy players in any case.

Offering an insight into the kind of player he is, Johnson said on signing for Eastbourne in the summer: "Coming here is very exciting. You want to express yourself and give your best for the team. Every match, I’ll put in 100% effort because I appreciate how big this club is and the demand from the fans and the support you give.

"With every single match I play, and every single training session, I’ll give 100% effort to constantly improve and put my body on the line for the club. A few people say I’m similar to Kobbie Mainoo. Off the ball, sometimes I can be like Kante. It’s not a bad mix!"

And speaking in October after establishing himself as a first-team regular and becoming a fan-favourite at Priory Lane, Johnson said of experiences: "I've enjoyed it a lot, enjoyed being in a full-time environment and just playing football every day. It's helped a lot, especially when I'm surrounded by players with much more experience than me. I've learned a lot from them.

"The fans have been really good and I want to thank them for that. I've heard my name a couple of times from them and it's a really good feeling. It gives me that extra push to put my heart for this club. I'm so grateful and it means a lot."