A 12-year-old school student from Long Eaton has his sights set on playing professional football after being scouted by the Welsh FA.
Young Brodie Jones, a year eight pupil at The Long Eaton School, has been playing for Nottingham Forest Football Club since he was six years old and is now also training for camps with the Welsh FA after his skills were spotted at a game at Loughborough University.
Brodie’s parents say he has shown talent at football since he was able to walk. By the tender age of six he was attending pre-academy sessions at no fewer than threef ootball clubs: Derby County, Nottingham Forest and Notts County. When he was offered a contract by Notts County aged eight, his family were told he was in fact the youngest player at that time to be in line for one.
Now central midfielder Brodie could be set for higher things still after he was picked to train with the North Wales regional squad for which he is eligible through family connections on his father’s side.
His mum Brooke said: “We’re really excited for him. We obviously thought he had talent – he seemed to stand out from everybody else.
“He’s played football since he could walk. When he was in reception we just took him down to the local club, then he went on to Long Eaton United and just progressed from there.”
Brodie trains with Nottingham Forest three times a week as well as attending training camps in Wales.
He said: “When I’m playing football, it just makes me happy. When you’re playing in midfield, you’re part of everything in the game. You’re travelling up and down the pitch constantly.
“For me, football takes everything away from your mind and you’re just happy. You don’t think about anything else.”
Brodie said his inspirations on the pitch were Nottingham Forest midfielder Ryan Yates, and Manchester City player Phil Foden, who, being young themselves, “were both good players to look up to”.
He said: “I’d just like to make football my career. I’d like to go all the way. I’d like to get a scholarship and go pro.”
Brodie’s parents said he also showed the same work ethic at school as on the pitch, with excellent reports from teachers at The Long Eaton School on his progress in the classroom.
In fact, the youngster’s skills have seen him receive the head teacher’s award from principal Richard Peel, who said: “Brodie was a well deserved winner of the headteacher’s award. He is showing every day what our ethos at The Long Eaton School is all about, that with hard work you really can achieve your goals!”
