Hadleigh's Josh Rees could be a name to look out for in the world of top-flight soccer...despite the fact that he's still a few weeks short of his ninth birthday.

For the Hadleigh Infants School youngster is all set to be signed up by Arsenal when he becomes nine next month.

Josh is a product of the grassroots coaching scheme of Arsenal scout Bob Woolf who said: "He's a strong attacking midfielder who first came to my attention at his school.

"Since then he's come along to my grassroots coaching school advanced centre and impressed Arsenal enough during his trial with them for them to say that they will definitely sign him on his ninth birthday next month. That's the youngest children can tie themselves to pro clubs.

"It's obviously helped a great deal in Josh's case that he's a mad-keen Arsenal fan. He was delighted when he heard that they wanted to sign him. Obviously there's a long way to go, but he's on the first rung of the ladder."

Published Friday, March 15, 2002