Huddersfield Town are set to sign another Bermudian forward.
Two years after bringing in Nahki Wells for a club-record £1.3m from Bradford City, Aaron Burgess will take up professional terms when he turns 17 next month, according to reports from the island.
Hot prospect Burgess, a Bermuda Under 17 international, played for Hamilton Parish in his home country and will be the first player from that club to turn professional.
He has been studying in Florida, and playing in US academy football, but is now set to fly to England ahead of his birthday on March 9.
Burgess caught the eye during a week-long Town trial, impressing with his pace.
“This is a big opportunity for me, coming from a small country and going out there,” Burgess told Bermuda’s Royal Gazette newspaper.
“It would be very rare for a Bermudian to be in the same team as another Bermudian.
“I just hope to be like Nahki, playing well, scoring goals and making Bermuda proud.
“When I went in September he was giving me some good advice, talking about the club and that helped.”
Burgess says his move will provide inspiration for other Bermudian youngsters.
“It will be big for the community and hopefully I can open some doors for the other young players there so that they can follow me,” he added.
Burgess’s father Phillip said: “I got a call saying there was an opening for a trial at Huddersfield, that they were looking for a player that fit Aaron’s
profile and can I get him out there.
“I called his school, they gave him a week off and I took him over to England where he trained and impressed the academy coaches.
“They loved his speed, he got clocked as the fourth fastest in the club from the seniors down.
“I dropped him off at training on the Monday and in the afternoon they called me and said: ‘Mr Burgess, you need to come by, we need to talk to you’.
“When I got there they took me in the office and said Aaron had really impressed the academy coaches.
“He played a trial match on the Tuesday night against Sheffield Wednesday and scored a brilliant goal, but they lost 3-1.
“On the Thursday when he finished up they called me in the office and said ‘we would love to have him, we’ll try our best to get him in the academy.’”
Wells, who emerged with Bermudian club Dandy Town Hornets, moved to England to attend the Richmond International Academic and Soccer Academy in Leeds.
He played for Eccleshill United in the Northern Counties East League and had a stint at Carlisle United before signing for Bradford City in 2011.
Top scorer Wells, 25, notched his 11th goal of the season in Saturday’s 3-2 home Championship defeat by Cardiff City.
He has 32 Town goals in all after scoring 53 for Bradford.
Other notable Bermudian players down the years include Shaun Goater (Rotherham United and Manchester City, Kyle Lightbourne (Walsall, Stoke City and Macclesfield Town) and Clyde Best (West Ham United), West Ham recently signed Bermudian keeper Nathan Trott.
