CITY AGREE TERMS WITH EXCITING 17-YEAR OLD PROSPECT
Tue May 18, 2021 1:57 pm
Cardiff City swoop in for Antoine Semenyo's brother right on Bristol City's doorstep
By Gregor MacGregor
Bluebirds snap up the latest talent from SGS College Filton following a successful trial
Cardiff City are close to finalising an agreement to sign exciting young right-back Jai Semenyo, Bristol Live understands.
Bristol City's Championship rivals are snapping up the latest talent to come through SGS College Filton under head of football Dave Hockaday, with a two-year deal to be inked soon.
Jai follows in the footsteps of brother Antoine, who plays down the road at Bristol City, and also fellow Robins striker Saikou Janneh who also spent time playing with Hockaday at SGS as well.
Semenyo Jnr joined up with Cardiff City for four days on trial recently and trained under Steve Morison with the Bluebirds U23s, impressing enough to then immediately be offered a contract.
Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Southampton have all been keeping an eye on the Mangotsfield United player, but despite the proximity to Ashton Gate the Robins have decided against taking a closer look at the player, with the West Country side happy with their exisiting options.
There are high hopes that the 17-year-old can make the first-team squad over the bridge, and follow Antoine in making an impact at Championship level in the coming seasons.
Former Leeds United manager Dave Hockaday has established a successful line of players coming through under his watch, as he continues to help develop young players up and send them off to professional clubs and begin their careers in the Football League. Hockaday works with a skeleton staff but is furthering his reputation as a very talented youth coach.
"He's Antoine's younger brother. I know the family very well," Hockaday tells Bristol Live. "They were very happy with the way that Antoine has developed.
"It was always their plan for Jai to come and work with me - and he is an incredible athlete, incredibly powerful, very quick, with incredible spring. He needed to work more on the technical side which he has done and applied himself very well.
"And I'm absolutely gobsmacked that it's taken this long for somebody to see his potential. He has been at a top Premier League who wanted him back but Cardiff have been very, very keen and have given him their word," explained the top youth coach and former Forest Green Rovers manager.
City have high hopes for Antoine Semenyo - though the forward has also been linked with Crystal Palace in recent weeks - while exciting attacking midfielders Ayman Benarous and Alex Scott have gained England youth recognition in the past two seasons, and Sam Pearson and Joe Low with Wales youth sides, with talent flourishing in the South West.
However the Robins have also missed out on several local talents around the city at the same time including top centre-back prospect Kaiden Wilson, who joined Chelsea as a 14-year-old last season after time spent at the Bristol Advanced Development Centre.
By Gregor MacGregor
Bluebirds snap up the latest talent from SGS College Filton following a successful trial
Cardiff City are close to finalising an agreement to sign exciting young right-back Jai Semenyo, Bristol Live understands.
Bristol City's Championship rivals are snapping up the latest talent to come through SGS College Filton under head of football Dave Hockaday, with a two-year deal to be inked soon.
Jai follows in the footsteps of brother Antoine, who plays down the road at Bristol City, and also fellow Robins striker Saikou Janneh who also spent time playing with Hockaday at SGS as well.
Semenyo Jnr joined up with Cardiff City for four days on trial recently and trained under Steve Morison with the Bluebirds U23s, impressing enough to then immediately be offered a contract.
Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Southampton have all been keeping an eye on the Mangotsfield United player, but despite the proximity to Ashton Gate the Robins have decided against taking a closer look at the player, with the West Country side happy with their exisiting options.
There are high hopes that the 17-year-old can make the first-team squad over the bridge, and follow Antoine in making an impact at Championship level in the coming seasons.
Former Leeds United manager Dave Hockaday has established a successful line of players coming through under his watch, as he continues to help develop young players up and send them off to professional clubs and begin their careers in the Football League. Hockaday works with a skeleton staff but is furthering his reputation as a very talented youth coach.
"He's Antoine's younger brother. I know the family very well," Hockaday tells Bristol Live. "They were very happy with the way that Antoine has developed.
"It was always their plan for Jai to come and work with me - and he is an incredible athlete, incredibly powerful, very quick, with incredible spring. He needed to work more on the technical side which he has done and applied himself very well.
"And I'm absolutely gobsmacked that it's taken this long for somebody to see his potential. He has been at a top Premier League who wanted him back but Cardiff have been very, very keen and have given him their word," explained the top youth coach and former Forest Green Rovers manager.
City have high hopes for Antoine Semenyo - though the forward has also been linked with Crystal Palace in recent weeks - while exciting attacking midfielders Ayman Benarous and Alex Scott have gained England youth recognition in the past two seasons, and Sam Pearson and Joe Low with Wales youth sides, with talent flourishing in the South West.
However the Robins have also missed out on several local talents around the city at the same time including top centre-back prospect Kaiden Wilson, who joined Chelsea as a 14-year-old last season after time spent at the Bristol Advanced Development Centre.
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Re: CITY AGREE TERMS WITH EXCITING 17-YEAR OLD PROSPECT
Tue May 18, 2021 2:00 pm
Cardiff City are close to finalising an agreement to sign exciting young right-back Jai Semenyo.
Bristol Live understands.
Tuesday 18th May 2021
Bristol City's Championship rivals are snapping up the latest talent to come through SGS College Filton under head of football Dave Hockaday, with a two-year deal to be inked soon.
Jai follows in the footsteps of brother Antoine, who plays down the road at Bristol City, and also fellow Robins striker Saikou Janneh who also spent time playing with Hockaday at SGS as well.
Semenyo Jnr joined up with Cardiff City for four days on trial recently and trained under Steve Morison with the Bluebirds U23s, impressing enough to then immediately be offered a contract.
Re: CITY AGREE TERMS WITH EXCITING 17-YEAR OLD PROSPECT
Tue May 18, 2021 2:08 pm
By all accounts many people are seeing his position as a winger not right-back.
Bags and bags of pace.
I wouldn't say no to his brother either. Excellent player. Wasted at the Wurzels.
Bags and bags of pace.
I wouldn't say no to his brother either. Excellent player. Wasted at the Wurzels.
Re: CITY AGREE TERMS WITH EXCITING 17-YEAR OLD PROSPECT
Thu May 20, 2021 9:54 am
AfricanBluebird wrote:By all accounts many people are seeing his position as a winger not right-back.
Bags and bags of pace.
I wouldn't say no to his brother either. Excellent player. Wasted at the Wurzels.
Winger full back very little difference in modern game.
Re: CITY AGREE TERMS WITH EXCITING 17-YEAR OLD PROSPECT
Thu May 20, 2021 2:02 pm
True Jock.
Re: CITY AGREE TERMS WITH EXCITING 17-YEAR OLD PROSPECT
Thu May 20, 2021 4:21 pm
Great to be signing kids with potential. What ever happened to the exiting Irish lad who we signed a couple of years back? Can't remember his name, but wasn't he a great prospect at the time? Anyone know?
Re: CITY AGREE TERMS WITH EXCITING 17-YEAR OLD PROSPECT
Thu May 20, 2021 4:49 pm
Don Keydick wrote:Great to be signing kids with potential. What ever happened to the exiting Irish lad who we signed a couple of years back? Can't remember his name, but wasn't he a great prospect at the time? Anyone know?
Aaron Bolger ? out on loan to his previous club Shamrock at start of the 20/21 season but was due back last October was the last thing i read.. bit like
Danny Williams back to Haverfordwest on a seasons loan... no idea if their contracts have expired or have time to run...
we sign youngsters every year just for some reason this year there seems to be much more talk around them...