Third Year student Aston Gayle has just signed with the U14s at Crystal Palace FC, after coaches recognised the incredible potential in the young footballer.
Aston has been playing football since he could kick a ball at 18 months old and was spotted after attending one of Palace’s Foundation Soccer Schools several years ago. Aston also attended pre-academy training sessions with Tottenham, Chelsea and Brighton & Hove before being offered a trial by Palace. After attending the 10-week trial, Aston was offered a place with the Academy and started training three times a week with them on top of match days every Sunday.
Aston says, “I was so excited to be called up for the trials at Palace, and although I was quite nervous to begin with, I soon started to enjoy it. When I heard they wanted to sign me up for the U14s I couldn’t believe it. I felt so happy and proud and am loving every minute of it.”
Aston joins his Trinity U14A teammate Jacob Fasida, who is also part of Palace’s Academy. Both students played a huge role in the success of the Trinity U13 football team last season in the ISFA Cup and are looking forward to further success with the Trinity U14s. The team is already down to the last 32 in the ESFA Boys’ U14 PlayStation Schools’ Cup.
Mr Wilson, Head of Football, says, “We’re incredibly proud of Aston for this achievement and excited to see where this opportunity takes him. Crystal Palace has a fantastic academy, producing some top players over the years. Aston joins a number of Trinity students who have signed to prestigious Category 1 academies. Let’s not forget former student Ollie Scarles who went through the West Ham Academy and recently signed to the first team at age 16.
“As football goes from strength-to-strength at Trinity, we now have more opportunities than ever for training and fixtures in school and it’s great to see talented players like Aston pursuing opportunities outside of school too.”
Crystal Palace FC Academy strives to give every young player the best holistic experience towards their ambition of becoming a professional football player. The club has first-class facilities, specialist support staff across various disciplines and an elite games programme, and aims to provide every player with a positive and enriching experience.
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