Latest news with #AcademyPlayeroftheYear
The 42
6 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Edwin Agbaje joins Sligo Rovers following Ipswich Town departure
FULL-BACK EDWIN Agbaje has signed a short-term deal with Sligo Rovers, the club have confirmed. The Offaly native, who operates mainly on the right side, joins the Bit O'Red having departed EFL Championship side Ipswich Town recently. He links up with Rovers having penned a deal until the end of the current season and joins subject to international transfer clearance. Advertisement The 21-year-old began his life in football at local side Edenderry Town, before moving on to join the academy at Shamrock Rovers at 14. Two years later, he was picked up by Ipswich and spent five years there and was also loaned to both Sutton United and Yeovil Town. Agbaje has represented the Republic of Ireland at various underage levels and was named Ipswich's Academy Player of the Year in 2023. His availability for tonight's (Friday) game with Bohemians is ITC dependent. Agbaje is the seventh new player in the door this summer as manager John Russell looks to finish the season on as strong a note as possible. Sligo are currently seven points clear of bottom-placed Cork City, whose form has finally ticked upwards with a home win over Galway followed by a draw away to Derry. Speaking to the club's website, Agbaje said: 'I spoke to people at the club a lot over the summer and got to hear in detail about the style of play and how things are done here at Rovers. 'It really impressed me and Sligo seems like a place where I can really fit in. It's a great place for young players like myself to develop. John (Russell) has a proven track record of bringing through, developing and giving chances to younger players like me so the opportunity here speaks for itself. Russell said: 'Edwin is an extremely talented player. He's got all the attributes you look for in a defender. He has pace, he's strong, aggressive and good on the ball. We feel he can make a big impact here between now and the end of the season.'
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Sligo Rovers sign former Ipswich defender Edwin Agbaje
Sligo Rovers have signed defender Edwin Agbaje on a short-term deal until until the end of the season. The Offaly native, who operates predominantly on the right side, joins the Bit O'Red having departed Championship side Ipswich Town recently. The 21-year-old began his life in football at local side Edenderry Town, before moving on to join the academy at Shamrock Rovers at 14. Two years later, he was picked up by the Tractor Boys and spent five years there and was also loaned to both Sutton United and Yeovil Town. Agbaje has represented the Republic of Ireland at various underage levels and was named Ipswich's Academy Player of the Year in 2023. Agbaje is the seventh new player in the door this summer as manager John Russell looks to finish the season strongly. Speaking to the full-back says he feels the Showgrounds is the ideal place for him to continue his career, noting the club's model and record in terms of giving youth a chance. "I spoke to people at the club a lot over the summer and got to hear in detail about the style of play and how things are done here at Rovers," he said. "It really impressed me and Sligo seems like a place where I can really fit in. It's a great place for young players like myself to develop. John (Russell) has a proven track record of bringing through, developing and giving chances to younger players like me so the opportunity here speaks for itself. "I've been here for a few sessions now and I am loving it. I've got on really well with the players and coaches so now I'm just looking forward to getting out there and helping the team out. "I love to attack, to get forward and support the front men. But I'm a defender first and foremost and my job is to keep the ball out of our net and that's what I'm here to do." Russell has long been an admirer of the former Shamrock Rovers defender and says the move is one that he hopes will benefit both parties. "Edwin is an extremely talented player," he says. "He's got all the attributes you look for in a defender. He has pace, he's strong, aggressive and good on the ball.
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Sligo Rovers sign former Ipswich Town defender Edwin Agbaje
The 21-year-old departed EFL Championship side Ipswich Town this summer after spending five years at the club. The Offaly native, who operates predominantly on the right side, signed for Shamrock Rovers at the age of 14, and two years later was signed by The Tractor Boys. Agbaje, who has represented the Republic of Ireland at various underage levels, also enjoyed loan spells at Sutton United and Yeovil Town. The defender was named Ipswich's Academy Player of the Year in 2023. The latest arrival at the Showgrounds is John Russell's seventh new signing of the summer. 'I spoke to people at the club a lot over the summer and got to hear in detail about the style of play and how things are done here at Rovers', Agbaje said. 'It really impressed me and Sligo seems like a place where I can really fit in. It's a great place for young players like myself to develop. John (Russell) has a proven track record of bringing through, developing and giving chances to younger players like me so the opportunity here speaks for itself. 'I've been here for a few sessions now and I am loving it. I've got on really well with the players and coaches so now I'm just looking forward to getting out there and helping the team out. 'I love to attack, to get forward and support the front men. But I'm a defender first and foremost and my job is to keep the ball out of our net and that's what I'm here to do. 'I'm looking to settle in as quickly as I can. I know we only have a handful of games left so I want to play in as many games as I can and help the club pick up as many wins as we can along the way. There's great competition here and that just helps things along.' Manager John Russell added: 'Edwin is an extremely talented player', he says. 'He's got all the attributes you look for in a defender. He has pace, he's strong, aggressive and good on the ball. 'We feel he can make a big impact here between now and the end of the season. 'As a manager, I am constantly looking to improve the team and bring in quality. I've been in contact with Edwin for a while now so I am delighted he has decided to join us. We really feel he can thrive here at Sligo Rovers.'
The Irish Sun
05-08-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Chelsea files: ‘New Aguero', 16, could be Blues greatest youngster as record set with John Terry protege set for exit
Blues have snapped up the Champions League's youngest ever goalscorer Chelsea files: 'New Aguero', 16, could be Blues greatest youngster as record set with John Terry protege set for exit ALFIE Gilchrist was once tipped by fellow homegrown Chelsea defender John Terry to follow in his glorious footsteps. The Terry seal of approval came midway through the 2023/4 season which ended with Gilchrist signing a new contract, scoring his first senior goal for the Blues and being named Academy Player of the Year. 8 Alfie Gilchrist looks set to leave Chelsea Credit: Reuters 8 The popular right-back had mixed fortunes on loan at Sheffield United last season Credit: Getty But things move fast and the lifelong Chelsea fan is close to becoming the latest youth-team star to leave the club in search of first-team opportunities. In fairness to the Blues, homegrown trio Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill are three of the players who have blocked Gilchrist's path into the first-team defence as a right back or centre back. But the club policy of buying young talent from around the world has also pushed him towards the exit door. Even before the arrival of Jorrel Hato, the 19-year-old signed from Ajax for £37m, the writing was on the wall for Gilchrist, now 21. While he was still on loan at Sheffield United, Aaron Anselmino, 19 at the time, was recalled from loan at former club Boca Juniors and went on to play at the Club World Cup. Mamadou Sarr, also 19, was signed from Strasbourg earlier in this window before being loaned back to the sister club. So Gilchrist is all but certain to move in the coming weeks. But it need not be a case of taking one step backwards to take two forward, if interest from the Bundesliga turns into something concrete. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Championship clubs including Derby, Blackburn and MIddlesbrough are on the scene after Gilchrist's decent stint at Sheffield United last season. He has also caught the eye of Saudi Pro League sides. How Nicolas Jackson could make £80m Newcastle switch | Transfers Exposed Yet Germany might turn out to be the most attractive prospect after a number of young English players blazed a trail there in recent years. Including one of Chelsea's incoming players this summer, Jamie Gittens. The winger, like Jadon Sancho before him, left Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund as a teenager and came back to England as a player worth tens of millions. If Gilchrist chooses the same route, he will hope to do the same, For now, though, wherever he goes, he will cost less than Chelsea's original £8m asking price and perhaps under £5m. 8 John Terry had tipped Gilchrist for glory Credit: PA DERRY BOY NEW Chelsea signing Jesse Derry has already been branded 'Proper Chels' for a post he made on social media on the day his move was announced. After sending a heartfelt goodbye to former club Crystal Palace, the tricky winger posted a picture of himself as a child in a classic Chelsea shirt with the caption 'From young. UTC (Up the Chels)' The son of former Premier League player Shaun Derry also posted the official announcement pictures with the caption "A dream come true to join the world champions " The 18 year old looked set to follow Jadon Sancho's pathway, with a move to the Bundesliga seeming imminent before the Blues swept him off his feet and away from Selhurst Park. Derry also has a cousin at Chelsea in the form of Reggie Watson, a highly rated academy prospect also signed from Palace in the last year. Derry's form for Palace's under-18 side earned him an England call-up. It remains to be seen whether he will stay at Chelsea for the coming season or go out on loan. 8 Jesse Derry has proved popular on social media since his move from Crystal Palace Credit: Getty SAT-NAV SET TO GREATNESS IT is no secret that Chelsea have spent a lot of money accruing some of the very best young talent in the world in the last few years. Estevao Willian, Jorrel Hato, Kendry Paez, Geovany Quenda and Mike Penders will ALL still be under the age of 25 by the time 2030 rolls around. But one of their youngsters with an incredibly high ceiling might just be going under the radar, in the form of 16-year-old Dastan Satpaev. The striker has already been likened to Sergio Aguero online, with videos of him playing for Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan going viral. Chelsea paid close to £4million to secure his services, with the Kazakh forward set to sign a five-year contract with the option of an extra year when he turns 18. Satpaev most recently shone in the Champions League second qualifying round for his side, sparking a stunning comeback in a 3-2 win over KuPS Kuopio, and in the process becoming the youngest player to EVER score in the Champions League. The Blues may just have done it again. 8 Dastan Satpaev has been likened to Sergio Aguero Credit: Alamy SANTOS' TAPES 'HUSTLE' is not a word taken lightly when you grow up playing football as a kid in Brazil, trying to get noticed by one of the biggest teams in the country before daring to dream about a move to Europe or representing your national team. But Andrey Santos is a young man who had hustle in abundance, and a determination to make it rarely matched by others. X account TheSecretScout revealed a message sent directly by Santos a number of years ago in which the young player talked about a YouTube video of him that the wanted to make public. Santos would've been around 16 at the time, the same age at which he made his professional debut for Vasco Da Gama before going on to make 47 appearances for the club. The message read "hello, I have a video, but I think it's on the yotuber (YouTube)" followed by a link to footage of him playing for Brazil's under-15's at the 2019 South American U-15 Championships. Santos made it to Europe and Chelsea. A strong season on loan at Strasbourg in 2024/5 has earned him a place in Enzo Maresca's first-team squad. But he will need to display even more elite talent and mentality to force his way past Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia. 8 Andrey Santos pitched his YouTube videos to prominent X accounts when he was younger Credit: Alamy DAVID'S BIG HEART EX-Chelsea defender David Lee is getting on his bike after a brush with mortality. Lee, 55, who played 151 league games for the Blues between 1988 and 1998, had a life-saving triple-heart bypass operation earlier this year. To thank the medical staff and do his bit for others in a similar situation, he will cycle 130 miles in two days with friend Paul, from his home near Bristol to Stamford Bridge, aiming to arrive in time for the lunchtime kick off against Fulham on Saturday August 30. Lee is raising money for the British Heart Foundation and the Chelsea Past Players' Trust. Chelsea fans or anyone else wanting to help him reach and beat his £5,000 target can contribute at 8 David Lee (seen in 1995) is cycling 130 miles after surviving a triple heart bypass Credit: Getty TROPHY LIFT? HOW enthusiastic are Chelsea fans feeling ahead of the new season? Wednesday's Together In Glory event at Stamford Bridge should be a decent indication. Supporters are being given the chance to celebrate with stars from both the men's and women's teams after they won five trophies between them last season. The Club World Cup silverware lifted by Reece James last month will be put in the club museum cabinet for the first time. And the men's Conference League silverware, as well as the domestic Treble of trophies won by the women's team, will also be on display. When you think that six Chelsea players were part of the England squad that won the women's Euros, it has been a glittering few months for the club.
Scottish Sun
05-08-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Chelsea files: ‘New Aguero', 16, could be Blues greatest youngster as record set with John Terry protege set for exit
Blues have snapped up the Champions League's youngest ever goalscorer Chelsea files: 'New Aguero', 16, could be Blues greatest youngster as record set with John Terry protege set for exit Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ALFIE Gilchrist was once tipped by fellow homegrown Chelsea defender John Terry to follow in his glorious footsteps. The Terry seal of approval came midway through the 2023/4 season which ended with Gilchrist signing a new contract, scoring his first senior goal for the Blues and being named Academy Player of the Year. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Alfie Gilchrist looks set to leave Chelsea Credit: Reuters 8 The popular right-back had mixed fortunes on loan at Sheffield United last season Credit: Getty But things move fast and the lifelong Chelsea fan is close to becoming the latest youth-team star to leave the club in search of first-team opportunities. In fairness to the Blues, homegrown trio Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill are three of the players who have blocked Gilchrist's path into the first-team defence as a right back or centre back. But the club policy of buying young talent from around the world has also pushed him towards the exit door. Even before the arrival of Jorrel Hato, the 19-year-old signed from Ajax for £37m, the writing was on the wall for Gilchrist, now 21. While he was still on loan at Sheffield United, Aaron Anselmino, 19 at the time, was recalled from loan at former club Boca Juniors and went on to play at the Club World Cup. Mamadou Sarr, also 19, was signed from Strasbourg earlier in this window before being loaned back to the sister club. So Gilchrist is all but certain to move in the coming weeks. But it need not be a case of taking one step backwards to take two forward, if interest from the Bundesliga turns into something concrete. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Championship clubs including Derby, Blackburn and MIddlesbrough are on the scene after Gilchrist's decent stint at Sheffield United last season. He has also caught the eye of Saudi Pro League sides. How Nicolas Jackson could make £80m Newcastle switch | Transfers Exposed Yet Germany might turn out to be the most attractive prospect after a number of young English players blazed a trail there in recent years. Including one of Chelsea's incoming players this summer, Jamie Gittens. The winger, like Jadon Sancho before him, left Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund as a teenager and came back to England as a player worth tens of millions. If Gilchrist chooses the same route, he will hope to do the same, For now, though, wherever he goes, he will cost less than Chelsea's original £8m asking price and perhaps under £5m. 8 John Terry had tipped Gilchrist for glory Credit: PA DERRY BOY NEW Chelsea signing Jesse Derry has already been branded 'Proper Chels' for a post he made on social media on the day his move was announced. After sending a heartfelt goodbye to former club Crystal Palace, the tricky winger posted a picture of himself as a child in a classic Chelsea shirt with the caption 'From young. UTC (Up the Chels)' The son of former Premier League player Shaun Derry also posted the official announcement pictures with the caption "A dream come true to join the world champions " The 18 year old looked set to follow Jadon Sancho's pathway, with a move to the Bundesliga seeming imminent before the Blues swept him off his feet and away from Selhurst Park. Derry also has a cousin at Chelsea in the form of Reggie Watson, a highly rated academy prospect also signed from Palace in the last year. Derry's form for Palace's under-18 side earned him an England call-up. It remains to be seen whether he will stay at Chelsea for the coming season or go out on loan. 8 Jesse Derry has proved popular on social media since his move from Crystal Palace Credit: Getty SAT-NAV SET TO GREATNESS IT is no secret that Chelsea have spent a lot of money accruing some of the very best young talent in the world in the last few years. Estevao Willian, Jorrel Hato, Kendry Paez, Geovany Quenda and Mike Penders will ALL still be under the age of 25 by the time 2030 rolls around. But one of their youngsters with an incredibly high ceiling might just be going under the radar, in the form of 16-year-old Dastan Satpaev. The striker has already been likened to Sergio Aguero online, with videos of him playing for Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan going viral. Chelsea paid close to £4million to secure his services, with the Kazakh forward set to sign a five-year contract with the option of an extra year when he turns 18. Satpaev most recently shone in the Champions League second qualifying round for his side, sparking a stunning comeback in a 3-2 win over KuPS Kuopio, and in the process becoming the youngest player to EVER score in the Champions League. The Blues may just have done it again. 8 Dastan Satpaev has been likened to Sergio Aguero Credit: Alamy SANTOS' TAPES 'HUSTLE' is not a word taken lightly when you grow up playing football as a kid in Brazil, trying to get noticed by one of the biggest teams in the country before daring to dream about a move to Europe or representing your national team. But Andrey Santos is a young man who had hustle in abundance, and a determination to make it rarely matched by others. X account TheSecretScout revealed a message sent directly by Santos a number of years ago in which the young player talked about a YouTube video of him that the wanted to make public. Santos would've been around 16 at the time, the same age at which he made his professional debut for Vasco Da Gama before going on to make 47 appearances for the club. The message read "hello, I have a video, but I think it's on the yotuber (YouTube)" followed by a link to footage of him playing for Brazil's under-15's at the 2019 South American U-15 Championships. Santos made it to Europe and Chelsea. A strong season on loan at Strasbourg in 2024/5 has earned him a place in Enzo Maresca's first-team squad. But he will need to display even more elite talent and mentality to force his way past Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia. 8 Andrey Santos pitched his YouTube videos to prominent X accounts when he was younger Credit: Alamy DAVID'S BIG HEART EX-Chelsea defender David Lee is getting on his bike after a brush with mortality. Lee, 55, who played 151 league games for the Blues between 1988 and 1998, had a life-saving triple-heart bypass operation earlier this year. To thank the medical staff and do his bit for others in a similar situation, he will cycle 130 miles in two days with friend Paul, from his home near Bristol to Stamford Bridge, aiming to arrive in time for the lunchtime kick off against Fulham on Saturday August 30. Lee is raising money for the British Heart Foundation and the Chelsea Past Players' Trust. Chelsea fans or anyone else wanting to help him reach and beat his £5,000 target can contribute at 8 David Lee (seen in 1995) is cycling 130 miles after surviving a triple heart bypass Credit: Getty TROPHY LIFT? HOW enthusiastic are Chelsea fans feeling ahead of the new season? Wednesday's Together In Glory event at Stamford Bridge should be a decent indication. Supporters are being given the chance to celebrate with stars from both the men's and women's teams after they won five trophies between them last season. The Club World Cup silverware lifted by Reece James last month will be put in the club museum cabinet for the first time. And the men's Conference League silverware, as well as the domestic Treble of trophies won by the women's team, will also be on display. When you think that six Chelsea players were part of the England squad that won the women's Euros, it has been a glittering few months for the club.
