Town have confirmed the signing of New Zealand U20s international keeper Henry Gray and have revealed that Scotland U18s number one Woody Williamson has signed a professional deal and Antoni Bort has agreed an extension.
TWTD reported the Blues’ recruitment of Gray (pictured above) on a two-year deal from New Zealand Central League side Waterside Karori following a trial in May. He was previously with A-League club Wellington Phoenix’s reserves.
The 18-year-old, who played the second half of Saturday’s U21s friendly at Bury Town, subsequently travelled to Argentina for the FIFA U20 World Cup but without featuring in any of the All Whites’ games.
Williamson (below) featured regularly for the U18s and U21s last season, and also won his first Scotland U18s cap.
The 17-year-old has now penned a professional deal tying him to the Blues for two years.
Belgium-born Lowestoft-raised Pole Bort (below), 20, missed much of last season due to injury and has had his Town contract extended for a further six months with his previous terms up this summer.
"This shows our commitment to nurturing young talents and building a strong squad for the future,” head of goalkeeping Rene Gilmartin told the club site regarding the deals.
"We firmly believe that their unique skills and passion for the game will contribute significantly to the club's success.
"Henry is someone we’ve known about for a while now, so it’s good to have him here.
"Woody had an impressive season last year and has the potential to continue his development further, while Antoni Bort is a prime example of someone who’s committed to working hard and not letting setbacks get in the way of his development.
"I’m looking forward to seeing their progression over the course of the season.”