LEON DAVIES SIGNS THREE-YEAR PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT ON 17TH BIRTHDAY
Cambridge United are delighted to announce that right back Leon Davies has signed a three-year professional contract with the Club on the day of his 17th birthday, committing his future until June 2019.
The youngster has been with United from the age of eight after initially joining the Club's Regional Development Centres before progressing into the Academy Under 9's.
Since then Davies has developed through all of the schoolboy age groups, regularly playing up a level including last season when he represented the Youth Team as an Under 16 player.
Leon gained valuable first team experience when he was selected in the match day squad against Accrington Stanley in November 2015, before he made his full professional debut in the U's Checkatrade Trophy win over Shrewsbury Town in August.
More recently, he has been a key part of the Youth Team's excellent start to the Youth Alliance League and run in the FA Youth Cup, as well as adding two further first team appearances against Middlesbrough U21s and Scunthorpe United.
Academy Manager Mark Bonner commented: "Leon has made excellent progress over the past 12 months and whilst there is a huge amount of development left within him physically and in his game overall, we are excited by his potential.
"This commitment gives him the security to continue focusing on developing his game, safe in the knowledge that we all hold the same ambitions for his progress."
The 17-year old has become the third scholar to sign a professional contract with the club following the recent announcements of Matthew Foy and Harry Darling.
Cambridge United CEO Jez George added: "Our long term vision for the success of our Club is to create pathways for our best young players into the first team. That is why Shaun (Derry) deserves credit in being so invested in the progress of our young players and willing to give them an opportunity in the first team.
"As a Club, we are rightly proud of our Academy; not just because of our origins and the commitment it required whilst we were in the Football Conference, but our ability to punch above our weight. This has been created in the Cambridge United way; through sheer hard work but also with really talented staff and players.
"Leon epitomises that. He is hugely talented and has great potential to develop. We are delighted that he has trusted that process with Cambridge United.
"Anyone who has watched our matches in the FA Youth Cup, or seen any of our Schoolboy Fixtures, will realise that Leon is one of many talented young players within our Academy. We know that our players are coveted by other Clubs. Therefore, it is extremely important that we are proactive in securing their futures and that we create an environment in which they recognise their best route into professional football is with Cambridge United.
"It speaks volumes for Mark Bonner and all the Academy staff that Leon has joined Harry Darling and Matt Foy in signing professional contracts so early in the season."