Pitchero Non League

Jacob Blyth

.....Jacob Blyth to npower Championship side Leicester City has been completed for a nominal fee.

Blyth will join City’s development squad for the 2012/13 season under the guidance of development coach Steve Beaglehole.

The Foxes are giving him an opportunity in the professional ranks following his seventeen goals for the Brakes last season.

Leamington chairman Jim Scott said: “We are delighted for young Jacob. He has been given a wonderful opportunity, but this is merely him placing his foot on the first rung of the ladder. He will need to put in a lot of hard work over the next season.

“It also reflects well upon our club. We want young talented players to come and challenge for a place in our first team. Manager Paul Holleran took a chance on Jacob fifteen months ago, he grabbed that opportunity and has developed further under the guidance of Paul and his coaches. He was never in the professional ranks as a youngster and it is to his credit that he has come through as a late developer.”

Holleran said: “I am delighted that a club of Leicester's size has come in and taken a punt on Jacob. They were one of a number of clubs who have been down to the New Windmill this year looking at us, and he's attracted a lot of attention. I think at times it has affected him as there have been a lot of agents about, but he took the right advice while this was going on, which was just to concentrate on Leamington, work hard and see what happens at the end of the season.

“It is the first-team management that are behind the signing - it's Steve Walsh, Craig Shakespeare and Nigel Pearson that have watched him and signed him.

“He'll be working straight away at Leicester, because he's got to get into the kind of condition that is required in pre-season, but it just gives him a great opportunity. He'll have full-time training, working at one of the best training grounds in the country. It's great for Jacob and it's great for Leamington that we can get a player from Step 3 of non-League to one of the biggest clubs in the country. It's a fantastic opportunity for him, and I'm sure like me that the Brakes supporters will take great interest in watching how he gets on at Leicester.

“He'll be hard to replace but we're obviously delighted that he's got such a big move, and if he has a good pre-season who knows where it will take him? Leicester have dealt with the whole situation very professionally, and they've been very fair with Jacob and with Leamington Football Club.”

Tags: News | Leamington

• The Evo-Stik League Southern
• Premier Division
  • + Canaries Add Another Trio
  • + Boss Backs Injured Wells to Bounce Back
  • + Eagles Looking to Plug Big Goals Gap
  • + Two New Glassboys
  • + Hayes Makes Generals Move
  • + Poppies Sign Two From Trials Weekend
  • + King Keen on Smith
  • + Sherborne Blow for AFC Totton
• Division One Central
  • + Wells Encouraged by Performance
  • + Nuts & Bolts to Host International
  • + Stringer Still Fine Tuning
  • + Herbert Joins Valley Staff
• Division One South & West
  • + More Peacocks Cross Over to Bridgwater
  • + New Keeper Signs for Martyrs
  • + Tasker Handed Tivvy Chance
  • + Thompson`s Patience Pays Off
  • + Stanley Makes Crusaders Switch
  • + Cleeve Realise It`s Going to be Tough
  • + Ackling in to Help Bourne
  • + Rich Switch to Mangos