Wigan Athletic’s Tobias Brenan compared to Jude Bellingham after fine display for Harrogate Town at Chesterfield FC
On-loan Wigan Athletic midfielder Tobias Brenan was compared to Jude Bellingham by Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver following his impressive showing against Chesterfield.
The 19-year-old came off the substitutes’ bench at half-time and capped a bright display with a late goal to earn the struggling Suphurites a valuable point in their bid to beat the drop.
Having initially spread the play from the middle of the pitch to the right wing, Brenan then burst forward, running beyond the hosts’ back line where he was found by Jack Muldoon’s neat touch.
Taking the ball in his stride, the Latics prospect then fired a clinical, first-time finish across Zach Hemming and into the far corner of the Spireites’ net.
That moment was the icing on the cake following a confident performance, which Town’s manager felt improved the visitors as a collective, and led to him drawing a comparison between Brenan and one of England’s biggest stars.
"I was encouraged by the performance of Toby. I thought that he gave us a little bit more as a team,” Weaver told BBC Radio York.
“His introduction worked for us, I thought that he was excellent right from the off.
"He’s a tiger in there. He takes the ball on the half turn well, and that’s what we want.
"There is a bit of Jude Bellingham about him in terms of his stature and the way he collects the ball and drives – and his finish as well. It will be a great boost for him, and for us as well.
"His goal was a great moment for a young lad coming out on loan and getting some match experience. He proved to be a great substitute for us, and he will be encouraged by that."
Brenan joined Town on loan for the rest of 2025/26 from League One Wigan on transfer deadline day.
Highly-rated by Latics boss Ryan Lowe and Gregor Rioch, the club's sporting director, who both describe him as a young talent with "a very bright future", Brenan played 11 first-team games (10 starts) for the Lancashire side before making the switch to North Yorkshire.
He made his Sulphurites debut as a second-half substitute during last weekend’s 2-1 home success over Cambridge United, with Saturday’s appearance his second in Harrogate colours.
A point for Town was sufficient to lift them off the bottom of the League Two table, however results elsewhere mean that they now find themselves four points from safety.