Needham Market teenager Ace Howell has been offered terms with Town’s academy until the end of the season, the Ryman Division One North club has announced.
Howell, 17, who will join the U18s squad, has spent a number of spells training at Playford Road this season, having previously been with the academy as a schoolboy before being released when at U14 level.
Exciting winger or forward Howell broke into the Needham first team earlier in the season, making five starts and seven sub appearances, scoring three goals, and catching the eye of Steve Foley, who combines his position coaching at Town’s academy with the head coach’s role with the Marketmen.
Former Blue Kevin Horlock, now head coach at Needham’s academy, is delighted to see Howell follow George Clarke, who spent the last two seasons with the Town youth set-up before moving on in the summer, in making the move to the Blues.
"We are thrilled that another of our young scholars has been presented with an opportunity to return to the full-time game, particularly at a club of such stature,” the former Northern Ireland international said.
"Ace is a talented young player with great potential and in his time at Needham Market we have sought to harness that natural ability, not only within the academy set up but also within Mark Morsley’s first team squad, where he has gained experience from playing alongside and sitting in the same dressing room as players of great quality and significant experience in the professional game.”