Talented Nigerian Jordan Adebayo-Smith has joined the Imps on a two-year scholarship, according to All Nigerian Soccer.
The move appears to be confirmed on the Imps youth team website, where Adebayo is listed as a player for the U18 side.
The report says that the talented 17-year-old was offered a two-year scholarship following a successful summer trial. It is thought he featured for the first team in the friendly against Derby U23 side, scoring in the process.
Adebayo has previously been on trial at Watford, failing to earn a deal, but was approached by the Imps through the East Soccer Base Academy.
Adebayo-Smith is described as “lightning quick and very skilful with an eye for goal” and plays up front.
If the move is as the report says, it does show the academy growing rapidly in terms of where it sources players, as well as recruiting fresh faces. At the fans forum last week, Danny spoke passionately about the desire to build an academy the club could be proud of, one that offered something very different to the others in the area.
It remains to be seen if Adebayo-Smith is the next face to emerge from the youth team and stake a first team place, following in the footsteps of ‘one of our own’, Ellis Chapman.
The academy has also been boosted recently by the arrival of David Bridges as Head of Coaching. 35-year old Bridges is a former pro who featured for Cambridge, Stevenage and Kettering amongst others in a career spanning 16 years and 451 appearances. he represented England at C international level and was part of the same Stevenage team as Michael Bostwick, winning promotion from the Conference in 2010.
In the matchday programme for the Bury game, he said of Lincoln City’s academy: “The people are very clear where they want to take the club. I’ve been really impressed with the mentality and the attitude within the environment. ”
We might not hear a lot about the development within the academy, but it does seem as though things are progressing at a fantastic speed now we’re back in the Football League.
Long may it continue.