Brooks signs deal at Bacup
Enabling talented teen Kyle to reach his full potential is the priority for Boro boss Brent
PROMISING teenager Kyle Brooks got his biggest football award to date by earning himself his first professional contract with local club Bacup Borough.
The 18-year-old from Weir has progressed through Borough’s Youth system having worked under Andrew Walker and Darren Reece.
The youngster did enough to impress Bacup manager Brent Peters during the last few games of the senior team’s
2017/18 season, Peters stepping him up into the first team squad for the 2018/19 campaign.
Brooks did not disappoint and enjoyed a run in the senior side during the 2018/19 campaign when he was selected for 32 games.
It made him second only to captain Adrian Bellamy in terms of appearances and earned him a twelve month deal with an option for a further twelve months.
Manager Peters said: “Having watched Kyle on a regular basis within our Youth Structure he immediately struck me as a level headed boy that was very much hungry to progress in the game.
“It is one thing having the hunger and desire but Kyle has the ability to go with those attributes.
“The fact he started in thirty two games last season speaks volumes for how well the boy is developing.
“The reason for the contract is to reward Kyle for how well he has progressed to date but it is also to enable the boy to continue his development in an environment where he is relaxed and comfortable and where he has that arena to express himself.
“This is not because he is the real deal, Kyle is by no means the real deal yet, but believe me he will be providing that he is given the opportunity to continue.
“Here at Bacup he most certainly has that arena, the head coach who Kyle will be working with is a former international footballer himself, Dave Felgate, who had fourteen years at Manchester City, and is currently working with Liverpool Football Club.
“When you give young players a chance at our level of the game and they get through the amount of games that Kyle has managed, it obviously gets other Non League managers looking at him with a view to him playing in their first team.
“But in the majority of cases, this is where it ends – they stop their development to use them as a footballer to play at their first team level.
“I was mindful of this situation and it was one of the reasons we placed this deal on the table.
“He does not need to get involved with the politics of our game, messing up his head as to whether he stays or goes.
“It is security for him, knowing that he can fully concentrate on furthering his development.
“The only way I don’t see Kyle Brooks being a future Bacup Borough captain is if he furthers his development and catches the eye of a Football League club.
“He will then be taking a positive step in another direction – this is exactly what we are working towards too, not only with Kyle but there will be some more following.”