FOREST Green Rovers have landed a ‘top quality player’ after signing former England Under-20 international Reece Brown on a one year contract.

Manager Mark Cooper said Brown will be a great asset to the club, adding: “I can get the best out of him.”

A midfield number ten, Brown, 21, penned the New Lawn deal following his release from Harry Redknapp's Championship outfit Birmingham City.

A prodigious talent, his season with the Blues started brightly, playing nine times under Gary Rowett before ex-Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola took over.

The former England U20 star was quickly shipped out to Chesterfield, playing two matches, but his loan spell was terminated and he returned to St Andrews.

Now Cooper has snapped him up, having been somewhat of a fan of the midfielder.

Cooper said: “He is a good footballer and I have seen him over a number of years with my connections up at Birmingham (City). I have watched him from a young age and always enjoyed watching him play.

“His skills are very good and he is a flair player. People probably talk about attitude but I think he is a bit misunderstood.

“If you are asking him to play on the right wing in a 4-4-2 formation, you would be better off not signing him.

“I think I know where his best position is and how to get the best out of him which is by concentrating on his strengths and not worrying too much on his weaknesses.

“So he is a really exciting player for the football club.”

It is the third signing for Cooper since Forest Green won promotion to the Football League with a National League Play-Off final victory over Tranmere Rovers last month. Lee Collins and Callum Evans have also put pen to paper.

Cooper said: “I am sure our fans will enjoy watching him (Brown) play. He will frustrate them at times but he will have them on the edge of their seats.”

Brown has had a few ups and downs but Cooper thinks there is a lot to come from him.

“it is part of being a young player. Because I have a son around that age, I understand what they go through, the emotional side of it which helps me when I am dealing with the younger players.

“So if we can unlock that potential here, we have a real top player on our hands.”

Cooper said it was a case of being ‘patient’ to land Brown. “He could have gone to thirty clubs on trial. He could have gone to Holland to play there because he did that well with the England Under-20s playing over there that a lot of clubs wanted to sign him.

“But I think he wanted to prove himself here first and, with me knowing him, that helped. I think it will be a good fit for him and us.”