Profile:

If you’re a fan who goes regularly to reserve and academy games, this guy could be your best friend. He seems to have been knocking around for a long time now. Probably because he’s in his third year as an academy player and has been given the third year to try to earn himself a professional contract. So the current season is obviously make-or-break for the youngster.

A regular lone front man in the youth team’s cup run, he has good ability to hold the ball up well. An impressive fourteen goals in twenty-five academy starts earned him a place on the substitutes’ bench for the final game of last season against West Ham. He made his first team debut in the 3-1 victory in the Carling Cup against Notts County where he came on played the last twelve minutes.

He will obviously be itching to get a professional contract. At seventeen, and with time to improve, there’s a chance he will get that deal. If he doesn’t it could break his football career, although as with many other former reserve and academy players, he could move down the leagues to another club. Will he make it? Who knows?

James Hewitt
Last updated: September 2005