Former Tonbridge Angels loanee Jack Rudoni is thriving in the Premier League - and the man who brought him to Longmead couldn’t be happier.

Steve McKimm signed the young midfielder on loan from AFC Wimbledon early in the 2019/20 National League South season and saw a player destined for big things.

Rudoni’s time at Tonbridge toughened him up for the Football League and he went on to establish himself with the Dons before joining Huddersfield and then Coventry.

He was a key part of the Sky Blues side who won the Championship title under Frank Lampard last season.

And the 25-year-old has taken to the Premier League, scoring his second goal of the campaign in a 3-1 win over Sunderland on Saturday, having opened his account from the penalty spot in a 4-1 victory against Newcastle.

“We brought him in and he was a young lad that you could see had potential, but needed that sturdiness of getting knocked about a little bit. Because on the ball, he was unbelievable,” recalled ex-Tonbridge boss McKimm, who’s just taken charge at Slough.

“He did really well for us. I thought he was always going to go on to bigger and better things.

“Going from Wimbledon to Coventry and playing in the Premier League is unbelievable to see.

“He lived around the corner from me, and he was just a lovely lad.

“A lovely, humble lad from a great family, which everyone says about these kids coming through playing football, but he got his head down, worked really hard and he’s getting his rewards, scoring in the Premier League.

“I was watching the Newcastle game when he scored his first goal, and it’s brilliant to see someone you’ve had in your team progressing, and we’ve had a few.”

McKimm, who describes Rudoni as a “natural talent”, added: “I'm not taking credit for where he is and what he's done but I like to see players that have done that sort of stuff and it's fantastic, so I wish him all the best.

“I've sent him messages of congratulations and stuff like that when he got in the Premier League and he comes back to me.

“It’s not ‘I'm up here and you're down there and I've lost your number’, and I like that, so obviously we've done something right with him when he was at Tonbridge.

“What a lad and what an unbelievable thing to see him doing that in the Premier League.

“I can't speak highly enough of Jack because he's gone on to fantastic things.”