A HAT-TRICK in just 48 minutes of his international debut for England Under-17, rave reviews from some of the best academy coaches and a first professional contract in the bag.
Teenage forward, Leon Chiwome, the son of a Zimbabwean father and British mother, is being hailed as one of English football’s next biggest things.
This week, he signed his first professional contract with Premiership side, Wolverhampton.
Many experts believe this is the first giant step in the career of a footballer they believe will explode into a star in the coming years.
“Wolves have a rising star on their hands who is now making his mark on the international scene,” noted Liam Keen, the club’s correspondent, at the Express & Star newspaper.
“This season, Hugo Bueno and Joe Hodge have shone for the first team as the latest in a number of academy products that have risen through the ranks.
“The pathway is there and Leon Chiwome is hoping to become the next star to grace the Molineux turf.
“On Saturday January 14, just four days after his 17th birthday, Chiwome scored a hat-trick in just 48 minutes for England Under-17s in their 6-0 win over Germany.
“The teenager, who has a British mother and Zimbabwean father, was named in The Guardian’s list of most promising Premier League youngsters in 2022 – a list that names one rising talent from each Premier League team to look out for.”
MICHAEL HAMILTON, LEON’S ACADEMY MANAGER AT AFC WIMBLEDON
“For Leon to join a Premier League club, following the departures of other players and staff to higher levels, is a measure of the quality and potential we’ve developed here. Leon has applied himself correctly since day one, and he has huge potential. If he continues to apply himself, there’s every chance of him fulfilling his ambitions in the future. Though he wasn’t here long, his potential was obvious from the outset.”
JONATHAN HUNTER-BARRETT, WOLVES ACADEMY MANAGER
“What we saw in him (Chiwome) was an excellent profile for a centre-forward who is big, strong and quick. He’s very keen to learn and get on the ball, and he knows where the back of the net is.”
“He’s the profile of the number nine we wanted to bring into the club and they’re not easy to come by. We feel he can do a little bit of everything – he’s got athleticism and pace to run in behind, he scores goals, can lead the line and is also good with his back to goal to bring others into play. His physical attributes really stood out when we watched him as well.
“I like to think that we saw the potential in him but there was no rush for it to happen, so credit to him – he’s taken the opportunity and has just got to keep working hard now. It’s been good to see him go and score goals for England and get that recognition. Us, as scouts, Chiwome is the latest tOcatch the eye and the club expect him to take further steps forward in the next few years.
HARRY HOOMAN, HEAD OF UK ACADEMY RECRUITMENT
“Credit to the scouts and recruitment team as a whole who saw that potential in Leon. We felt he had all the attributes that we look for in a number nine and he can do a bit of everything, but was far from the finished article.
‘‘He’s come in and progressed quicker than we actually envisaged. He’s got that real desire to improve which has helped and has been like a sponge since he’s come in.” — Sports Reporter/wolverhamptonwanderers.com
