BORO SHELL OUT AS FOXES PROWL
ONE Non-League star is heading to the Premier League – with another set to follow him within days. Lewis Wing will swap the ninth tier of the game and Shildon for the very top after signing a pre-contract agreement with Middlesbrough. He will officially become a Boro player in the summer after a stunning season in the Northern League, which has seen him score 31 times from midfield. Managerless Middlesbrough have watched Wing since before Christmas. He won the club’s Young Player of the Year last term when he notched 22 goals having signed that season from Seaham Red Star.
Two hat-tricks in his previous three games convinced the club’s talent spotters to take a punt on the 19-year-old and Boro have agreed to allow him to stay with the Shells until the end of the season.
Not only that, but their north-east neighbours have promised to visit in July for a pre-season friendly – a match which is likely to bank Shildon a five-figure sum.
Wing is not the only upand-comer set for the big time. Stafford Rangers forward Josh Gordon will edge closer to finalising his dream move to Champions League quarter-finalists Leicester City over the weekend.
Gordon played for Stoke City for eight years, but didn’t quite make the grade. He signed for Nantwich Town before joining Evo-Stik NPL Premier rivals Stafford earlier this season, where he scored 11 goals.
Done Deal
The 23-year-old hasn’t featured for Stafford in the past three games, a period where he has been on trial at the King Power Stadium.
He impressed enough to earn a deal and the formalities could be concluded before Monday.
Stafford manager Neil Kitching said on Friday: “Agents are going through the paperwork as we speak and it should be completed in the next 48 hours or so.”
It now seems a NonLeague player is being linked with a big move most weeks as Premier League and EFL sides battle it out for the top talent.
St Neots Town striker Jevani Brown recently spent a week on trial at Birmingham City and the 22-year-old is hopeful of returning to St Andrews.
Histon’s free-scoring winger Matthew Allan has Crystal Palace and Norwich City scouts watching him closely despite the Stutes’ struggle at the bottom of the Southern League Central.