Chesterfield manager John Pemberton gives young Spireites defender big compliment

The 19-year-old has impressed during pre-season and has apparently attracted the attention of a Football League club.

Pemberton signed Sharman on loan from Chesterfield when he was manager at Kidderminster Harriers and the teenager is very much part of his long-term vision for the club.

“He can start now,” Pemberton told the DT. “I don’t worry about him at all. I think he can fill several positions for us in the back line. He understands what we want to do with him. What I want to do with Jamie is that when he goes in, I want him to try to be able to stay in. I have worked with him as a youngster, I know what his mentality is, but again we are blooding a young player for the future and I want him to be the future. Arguably I would like to build the team around him. I think he is going to be that important to us eventually.”

Two other players who have made good impressions are Laurence Maguire and Joe Rowley.

Maguire, 23, has recovered from a long spell on the sidelines with a knee injury, while Rowley, 21, has come back refreshed after a difficult few years.

On Maguire, Pemberton said: “Laurence has been good. My only concern with Laurence, when he came back into full training, was not over pushing him. He has had no reaction to the games he has had. He has not missed a day’s training. As far as I am concerned Laurence is ready.”

And on Rowley, he said: “Joe has been excellent since he has come back in. We had a good chat at the end of lockdown. He understands that he felt that he had not been where he should be last year. There is a total difference to his mentality now and it is nice to have him back in whereas before we could not even consider him because of the frame of mind he was in, for whatever reason, was not quite there.”

“They are problems that I like,” Pemberton added. “It is good to have more players to call upon definitely.”