After seeing defender Ben Wilmot leave for big money, Boro’ hoped midfielder Arthur Iontton would be our next gem to be unearthed. It perhaps meant there were unnecessary (and unrealistic?) expectations on the lad’s future; coming out of our youth structure and talked up as our next hot property. There was no doubt that he showed promise and potential. And he started to gain exposure in the first team. But could that then translate into becoming our latest million-pounder? Not quite.

Iontton made his debut for Boro’s first team towards the end of the 2017-8 campaign; seeing yet more action during the 2018-9 season too. Never not far from the squad each week, the midfielder clocked up 21 outings in total. He netted his first goal too – adding fuel to the fire of expectation. With it, the steps taken forward by summer 2019 was such that he was named LFE League Two Apprentice of the Year. Now, there was a lad who won it the year before on the books at Stevenage. What was his name again? Oh yes, it was yer wan Wilmot.

Were the stars aligning in the midfielder’s favour? In a parallel universe, maybe so. But circumstances outside the midfielder’s control probably didn’t help his chances. Boro’ were struggling on the pitch and went through several managers between 2019 and 2021. While stability returned in the 2020-1 campaign under Alex Revell, the financial squeeze of Covid-19 lockdowns and yearly pack shuffling meant a decision had to be taken with regards to Iontton’s future at the end of that season. And the decision would be to let the player go.

Arthur Iontton: After Boro’

The decision to release Iontton appear to be vindicated in the short-term. Instead of moving up the pyramid, his next port of call was King’s Lynn Town of the National League. In May 2022, the midfielder moved on yet again; this time to Hampton & Richmond Borough. That said, Iontton had already left by the time the 2022-3 season came around; swapping a leafy Thames-side setting for the delights of Hendon.