Gillingham Football Club are delighted to announce that six players within our schoolboys programme have been offered full-time scholarships at the club.
Within the past week to ten days decisions have been made in regards to who will be offered full-time apprenticeships at Priestfield ahead of the 2018/19 season, and we are delighted to announce the six players who will become first-year scholars as of next season.
Schoolboys Development Manager Bryan Bull talks us through the six players in finer detail.
Tommy Lamb:
Tommy is from Thanet and has been with us since his under-eight year. A combative midfield player, he has the capacity to play in either wide or central areas. It will be interesting to see where he eventually develops as he has also been effective when asked to play in full back areas. Tommy scored against Dagenham when playing for the youth team recently.
Charlie Blanks:
Charlie, from Hythe, is another of our longer servers who joined us at a similar time to Tommy. Charlie is a dominant centre-back, who is good in the air and physically strong.
Jay Hards:
Jay, from Herne Bay, is the most recent to join us out of our new scholars, coming to us when he was 13. He is a hardworking, competitive forward thinking player, with an eye for goal. He is capable of playing either through the middle or in wider areas. Jay was an unused substitute in the FA Youth cup earlier in the season.
Joe Walsh:
Goalkeeper Joe is a Medway boy with great potential, who joined us aged 11. He is an excellent shot stopper, with vitally today, two good feet that enables him to distribute effectively. He has already featured a few times for the youth team in Youth Alliance fixtures this season.
Toby Bancroft:
Midfield player Toby is from Faversham. He tells me he is the leading scorer for the under 16’s this season, and has two good feet. Toby joined us in his under-10 year. Toby is a good athlete who is a capable finisher.
Harry Laing:
Last but not least, the last of the group who have so far been offered the opportunity, is Harry from Gillingham. Harry is also one of the group who have been with us since their under-eight year. Very definitely two-footed and very adaptable, Harry came on for the youth team in the FA Youth Cup, and has featured another couple of times in the league. It will be interesting to see what position he settles down into.
"It is always interesting to see how our part time players cope when they go into the very different full time environment, but the individuals are good characters, and the group as a whole have a good camaraderie that will hold them in good stead in the next couple of years.
"It is a particular pleasure from my point of view when so many who have been with us for so long come through and I am grateful, as they should be, to the many staff who will have worked with them over the years."
Everyone at Gillingham FC would like to wish the above six players every success for the future.