Ben Wilmot’s natural ability means he is more than capable of playing in midfield, says Leyton Orient’s Dale Gorman.

Gorman played with Wilmot last year at Stevenage, where the youngster enjoyed his breakthrough season after coming through the League 2 side’s academy.

The 18-year-old made 15 appearances for Stevenage last season, proving himself to be one of the finest young talents outside of the Premier League, and his performances reportedly attracted attention from the likes of Arsenal as well as Liverpool.

It was Watford, though, who won the race to sign Wilmot for £1m in the summer and he made his Premier League debut last weekend against Wolverhampton Wanderers, coming on as a late substitute for Sebastian Prodl.

The youngster was a centre-back by trade at Stevenage but since joining Watford he has been moved into a midfield role by head coach Javi Gracia, impressing in the Carabao Cup against both Reading as well as Tottenham Hotspur.

Gorman, like Wilmot, left Stevenage in the summer and joined Orient in the National League, where he has made eight appearances for the East London side, most of which coming as a substitute.

Having worked closely with the Watford youngster, Gorman says Wilmot’s attitude stood out early on in training and believes the 18-year-old’s talent will allow him to be a success in the Premier League.

Gorman said: “He (Wilmot) never played in midfield when he was at Stevenage. He’s definitely got the ability to play in midfield or anywhere, so it doesn’t surprise me.

“Ben’s got a lot of talent and you don’t play in the Premier League if you’re not a good player. He was a good lad and you can see his talent. But he was a good lad and one of those who wanted to learn every day. I wish him all the best.”