VIDEO: Porthill Rangers star Connor Sargeant signs for Stoke City- aged 9
HOTSHOT striker Connor Sargeant has signed for Stoke City after scoring more goals in 12 games than the entire first team this season.
The prolific nine-year-old has been on fire for his club, Porthill Rangers, who lie three points clear at the top of the Potteries Mini Soccer League Under 10s Division Two.
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Connor with Stoke City boss Tony Pulis.
Stoke fan Connor – who models his skills on Real Madrid hero Cristiano Ronaldo, but whose favourite player is Peter Crouch – was invited to watch his heroes train at Clayton Wood Training Ground yesterday – and is pictured on the front page with his hero.
He met all the players and was even given the chance to show off his skills to Stoke City boss Tony Pulis. Now the talented forward is set to join the Potters next year after he caught the eye of the club's academy.
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Mr Pulis said: "He really looked the business to me and with a scoring record like his I will have to think about signing him up when the next transfer window opens."
Mini Soccer League teams play two half-hour matches against the same opponent each week.
Connor scored one goal in each of the first two weeks of the season, then hit five in week three, 11 in the following week's games and eight in each of the two weeks after that. He has scored 47 goals in total for the team.
It took him just 12 matches to beat Stoke's season tally of 33.
Connor, a pupil at Churchfields Primary School in Chesterton – where he has hit four goals in two games for the school football team – said: "Meeting the Stoke players was brilliant.
"My favourite players are Steven Nzonzi and Peter Crouch. I think Crouchy is amazing. I got all the players to sign my Stoke top. When I'm playing I try to copy Ronaldo's skills."
Connor's mum Sarah Sargeant, aged 31 – who lives with Connor and his sisters Bethany, aged 13, and four-year-old Charlie-Mae, at Brittain Avenue, Chesterton, said: "Connor was completely overwhelmed by meeting the Stoke players.
"He's a big Stoke fan. Port Vale have tried to sign him four times, but he's turned them down each time.
"Porthill Rangers are doing really well at the moment. It is not just Connor, they are all really good.
"This is his second year at Porthill and he loves it. He says that's his team and that's where he wants to play. His team-mates are such a good bunch of lads. In his first season he scored 31 goals, but he missed quite a few games because he got injured. He had an accident on a trampoline and a metal bar went through his leg.
"Connor is very skilful and I get parents coming up all the time and comparing him with Ronaldo, but then other parents will say, 'I hoped he wasn't playing this week'.
"Connor lives for football, he loves it. When he is not playing the game he is on the computer playing football games."
While he was at Stoke City's training ground, Connor was signed up by the club's academy and will officially team up with the club in July.
Sarah added: "Connor is still on a high from it all, he can't believe it. Stoke were fantastic with him."
How Connor compares to Stoke City's strikers...
KENWYNE JONES
Starts: 10
On as a sub: 12
Goals: 5
PETER CROUCH
Games: 20
On as a sub: 7
Goals: 6
JON WALTERS
Games: 29
On as a sub: 1
Goals: 8
CAMERON JEROME
Games: 2
On as a sub: 16
Goals: 4
6 Comments
by Stars-stripes
Saturday, February 23 2013, 9:10AM
“Surprising for me,stonemel that you as a coach choose to emphasise failure and that for you,that is a reality by your logic Chester might as well give up and go home.
I would have thought someone in your position would hailed the benefits of playing sport.
I'm a pretty useless golfer should I give up?
In tiger woods Rory macilroy David beckham and the Williams sisters biographies all of them had parents that encouraged them in their sports but ultimately It was their love for the game that drove them forward
There is great book called bounce have you read it and if so I would be interested in your opinion.”
by stonemel
Friday, February 22 2013, 5:39PM
“For every David Beckham you want to name I can realistically name you fifty names of boys released at age sixteen who have had all their effort come to nothing. At no point did I do down this lads achievement but I am just talking about the reality of the situation. It is as I explained earlier the ACADEMY system that I would wish to challenge.
Able and talented footballers would be far better coached and cared for in a neutral system separated from individual clubs but funded by the FA but within the education system. At the age of sixteen clubs could make offers of scholarship to this collegiate system for a player. In the last twenty years and there are 81 high schools in Staffordshire I think there have been less than twenty schoolboys that have gone on to play professional football.”
by stokielad
Friday, February 22 2013, 1:26PM
“Good luck Connor! Lets hope the coaching staff actually coach him to play in his favoured position and not coach it out of him!”
by angusmac43
Friday, February 22 2013, 1:23PM
“Well spoken mole. We all need an incentive in life. Looke at any person throughout life and you will see that they have deddicated there life to there interest, to become skilled at there profession. Weather that be a guitarist,pianist,footballer,or what ever. Good luck to the lad as he starts out on his adventure.”
by mole10
Friday, February 22 2013, 10:08AM
“You've just explained away David Bekham's life.
He layed or the biggst team n the UK, Captained his Country and 'retired' frm British football by signing up to LA Galaxy for £124,000,000 before launching his own clothing and after shave chain worth £ms more.
He marries one of the most famous women in the world and she, in turn, married quite possibly the most famous sports star alive.
It may have all gone wrong somewhere for David Beckham and maybe it might be a bit uphill for the time being for Connor.
It's worth a shot though, isnt it?”
by stonemel
Friday, February 22 2013, 9:47AM
“I am really pleased for the local boy. He obviously has a scoring talent and if he is a local nice to see Stoke getting in first but some will know that I no longer have much faith in some aspects of Academy football; at Stoke or any other Academy for that matter.
The parents of this boy will soon find out how much demand is placed upon them to get their lad down to Clayton Woods three or four times a week, especially if they have any more children. This will happen for another six years possibly and then the chances of an actual scholarship are minimal. In the meantime the child's everyday life becomes cocooned and they find they have to make many sacrifices especially playing with mates on a regular basis.
It is the fact that young lives become the property of a private business that I worry about. Nevertheless I am sure the boy will get good coaching and enjoy playing against top named clubs at Academy level. A memory he will always carry with him.”