Oldham Athletic trial for AFC Sudbury Academy pair Alfie Adams and Shane Temple after latter scores twice at Glasgow Rangers
AFC Sudbury Academy’s Alfie Adams and Shane Temple are set to continue their pursuit of a dream move into the professional ranks by turning out for Oldham Athletic this weekend.
Coaches at the League Two club will run the rule over the attacking talents in an under-18s fixture at Blackpool on Saturday (10.30am).
It comes after striker Temple returned from a positive trial with Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers to help fire AFC Sudbury into the quarter-finals of the Blue Square Solutions Suffolk Boys’ Under-18 Midweek Cup.
The Wickford-based 18-year-old, who was credited with all four goals as the first team came back from 2-0 down to beat Harborough Town 4-2 in the FA Cup last September, broke the deadlock at Needham Market on Monday. Craig Power’s team, who also featured versatile Adams in the number nine shirt, were pegged back before a deflected free kick sealed their progress by a 2-1 scoreline.
But it came after a whirlwind start to the year for both of the teenage talents, who have been drawing attention from up the football pyramid.
“It really started for Shane with playing for Doncaster (Rovers) under-18s on trial,” explained academy coach Power.
“He went up there and scored five in two U18 competitive games. Darren Moore then went to Sheffield Wednesday that week when he seemed to have done enough to impress him and the academy staff but obviously the change in manager meant nothing happened.
“He has been back training with them and just waiting on a decision from Doncaster, but scoring five alerted (Glasgow) Rangers so he went up there and scored two on Friday in an internal game.
“He is now waiting for a bit of feedback from Rangers and he has now got Oldham lined up to play for them on Saturday, as had Alfie Adams.”
The latter, who made his first-team debut starting up front away to Grays Athletic in February 2020, was on trial with Ipswich Town in January. But a hamstring injury on his Blues U18s debut, against Charlton Athletic, saw the Halstead-based player’s stay at Playford Road cut short.
“Alfie was there for about three weeks altogether,” said Power.
“A game against Colchester got postponed as it was when the snow came. He played against Charlton and did well but he got injured, unfortunately.
“The plan is for them just to keep tabs on him and I think hopefully something will come for him and Shane in the pro game. But I think there is also probably a few more in this group who should be knocking on the doors of pro clubs in the coming weeks.”
Tyler French, with Bradford City, and Liam Bennett, with Cambridge United, are both previous examples of Sudbury academy players getting picked up by professional clubs.
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