St Albans academy footballer signed to premier club
Lewis Hobbs has been signed to Crystal Palace after training with EDSV academy, - Credit: Archant
A young footballer who trained in St Albans with a local academy has been signed to a premier club.
Lewis Hobbs, 19, who trained with EDSV Academy in St Albans has been signed up with Crystal Palace as a professional player and will start next season.
His dad, Simon Hobbs, said that the support the academy has given Lewis to enable him to achieve his lifelong ambition has been fantastic.
He said: "We pulled him out of another academy in his first year and into EDSV because of their reputation for both academic studies and football.
"They mapped out his modules to enable him to do two years in one, as he had missed some out at the previous place.
"Billy was really reassuring and professional and now to be signed at a premier club like this is just fantastic. They have excellent experience as players and great contacts in the industry."
Lewis is the second EDSV Academy player to sign a professional contract this season.
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Tommy Dixon-Hodge signed for Ross County FC, in the Scottish Premier League, at the beginning of the season after an outstanding year.
Director of EDSV Billy Highton said: "That's what the programme was set up to do - to help young people achieve their dreams.
"They come in, they gain their qualifications and make it into the profession.
"The EDSV Academy are immensely proud of Lewis (and Tommy) and are delighted to have helped guide them on their journey.
"It is a breath of fresh air when you have youngsters determined to make their dreams become reality.
"This move comes with great delight, with both of them being model student athletes who work relentlessly hard.
"The very modest young men deserve these opportunities to kick start their professional career."
EDSV students have also been awarded 'Student of the Year' four times in six years and the academy has an academic success rate of 96.5 per cent.
For more information on EDSV visit www.edsvacademy.com
