At Ten years old, Jamie Smithies, like
many of his contemporaries, wants to become a professional
footballer. But, unlike many boys his age, Smithies is on
track to achieve his goal after he was snapped up by Bristol
City academy chiefs, who were left drooling at his strong and
composed defensive play.
And after testing his talent against some
of the most promising youngsters in the country, the Chandag
School pupil is more determined than ever to turn his dream
into a reality.
"I started playing football properly when
I was four for Chew Valley," explained the level-headed
Keynsham youngster. "And I was playing for the Bath Primary
Schools team last year when someone from Bristol City spotted
me. I was surprised I got picked, but really happy."
Smithies' joy is not surprising
considering he supports the Robins and numbers City striker
Leroy Lita among his favourite players.
But the mature centre back has always
stood head and shoulders above the rest, according to his Bath
Primary Schools coach.
Tim Kirk saw so much raw ability in
Smithies, he picked him a year ahead of schedule. And it is a
decision Kirk believes has paid dividends for his side.
"He plays centre back for us and he is
captain of the squad," said Kirk. "We picked him last year, so
he played a year above himself and he coped absolutely
brilliantly.
"You could not tell he was younger than
the other boys and I think that helped him because he has
since become a very intelligent player and can read situations
so much better than other players of his age.
"He uses the ball very intelligently and
that is what makes him stand out.
"He is not exceptionally vocal, but he
leads by example. He has a very good attitude in training.
I've only been taking this team for a short while, but he is
certainly one of the best players we have ever had.
"He picks up tactics and strategies very
well and his training at Bristol City has helped him
enormously."
Smithies' involvement with the Ashton
Gate club has seen him go head to head with players from
Premiership academy sides including Southampton and Chelsea
and he believes playing such a standard of football is
improving his game no end.
He said: "It has helped me a lot. The
standard is really high but I feel I am getting better as a
player. I want to be a professional player one day."
If he keeps up his current rapid
progress, you wouldn't rule it out.
