England College's FA goalkeeper Josh Blunkell signs senior contract with AFC Sudbury amid pro club interest while Dale Brooks joins backroom staff
Angelo Harrop is delighted to have rewarded third-year academy student Josh Blunkell’s progress with AFC Sudbury with the 18-year-old’s first senior contract.
The Halstead-based player shot to prominence when injuries gave him a chance to show what he could do in the side’s FA Cup run which saw them bow out to Colchester United in the first round proper.
Following the BBC televised tie in November, Blunkell went on trial at the Sky Bet League Two U’s at the same time as he found out he had been successful in trials for the England College’s FA Men’s national team.
Other professional clubs are said to have also shown an interest in him but last month he returned from a brief loan spell with lower-league FC Clacton, cut short by injury, and has played in the Yellows’ last three games.
After the 3-1 Stowmaket Town home defeat on January 29 marked his first appearance for the side since the FA Cup game with Colchester, he has kept back-to-back clean sheets. After last Tuesday’s 1-0 victory at Coggeshall Town, Blunkell celebrated another shut-out in Saturday’s goalless draw at Great Wakering Rovers.
And it can now be revealed he has signed a contract until the end of the season, with Sudbury holding an option to extend it to cover 2022/23.
Joint manager Harrop said: “He is one we really think a lot of and he’s a big prospect for us.
“The fans and a lot of clubs saw the games against Colchester and Dartford.
“You’ve got to remember the pressure that was on his shoulders and how he dealt with that.
“He has obviously had a trial at Colchester as a result and a few other pro clubs have been in touch with him.
“For him to be playing and pushing for a starting place at his age and having two clean sheets in the last two games shows how capable and talented he is.”
Meanwhile, Harrop was disappointed not to see the side get more out of Saturday’s contest with George Keys and Luke Wilson having both hit the bar in what was described as ‘a scrappy game’.
It made it just five points claimed from their last six Pitching In Isthmian League North Division games with the few Tuesday games elsewhere seeing them drop from eighth to 10th but still six points off the last play-off spot. They hold a game in hand over current fifth-placed Dereham Town but sixth-placed Brentwood Town are three points behind the Norfolk side with three games in hand.
It means the pressure is on the Yellows to halt fourth-placed Grays Athletic’s strong run when they visit The MEL Group Stadium on Saturday (3pm).
Their visitors have collected 13 points from the possible 18, having won 1-0 at fellow play-off hopefuls Felixstowe & Walton United last weekend, despite playing the last 15 minutes with 10 men after goalscorer David Knights’ second yellow card.
“Every game is huge for us now,” said Harrop. “For us every game from now to the end of the season needs to be like a Dartford at home, so it should be exciting for the players and fans.”
It is followed by the visit of lower-league Mildenhall Town in the Turners Hyundai Suffolk Premier Cup second round on Tuesday (7.45pm). The tie - for a place in the quarter-finals - is a game which Harrop said is likely to see several academy youngsters get a chance to shine.
Brooks joins staff
Meanwhile, the club have announced experienced coach Dale Brooks has joined their backroom staff.
Brooks has previously worked with joint manager Rick Andrews at his former club Stowmarket Town where he held a director of football role.
A statement which appeared on the club's website said: "Dale has a vast array of experience working at clubs as diverse as Falkirk and Lowestoft, Cambridge and Norwich.
"Dale will add a lot of know how and help to improve our training methodology and he will be in place to take his spot in the dug out this coming Saturday when we face Grays at the MEL Group."
