Needham Market Academy's Jamie Smith earns a scholarship at Newbury College

Jamie Smith is excited to be heading out to the States this summer as the first player from the Needham Market Academy to start an American scholarship.

The 17-year-old winger has spent the last two years at Bloomfields, featuring regularly for the club’s reserves and under-18s, and is now preparing to move to South Carolina, where he will be a student-athlete at Newbury College.

It is another milestone for the Marketmen’s academy, which has been running since 2011, with Smith aiming for a professional contract once his four years at Newbury College comes to an end.

“I’m really excited and I just can’t wait to get started,” Smith said. “I’ve really enjoyed my two years at Needham. At the academy, you’re training every day, so you go in to train every morning and you get to feel what it’s like to be a professional footballer.

“Getting games for the reserves, and playing at that standard of football, playing against the men, has been the highlight. It’s different compared to playing youth football, and I’ve really enjoyed it.

“My aim is to come back after these next four years and sign a pro contract, but I’m also studying business while I’m over there. So maybe I could do something with that when I’m back in the UK.”

Academy director Robert Peace added: “I’m delighted for Jamie, it’s a great opportunity for him. It’s very important for us at the academy, as well, to establish the different exit routes that are possible for players coming to us. It was in his first year with us that Jamie registered an interest in going over to America.

“We’ve worked with a company called PASS4Soccer, and it’s come through working with those guys who help students who want to go to America to do a scholarship.”