Quartet Agree Terms For Under-21s

Thursday, July 7th 2016

City have signed up a quartet of youngsters to bolster their development squad in the forthcoming campaign.

Diego De Girolamo, Jack Challis, Kodi Lyons-Foster and Shabazz Omofe have all signed terms with the club ahead of the 2016/17 season.

De Girolamo has agreed a one-year deal with a further year’s option, having spent the past week training with the first team squad at Failand.

The 20-year-old is a former Sheffield United trainee winger, who has represented Italy at youth level. He has also spent time on loan at York City and Northampton Town in his brief career to date.

“It’s my ambition to get into the first team as soon as possible and help out the team,” De Girolamo said. “I’m delighted to have joined this great club.

“The gaffer, staff and all the players have been great with me and I’ve really enjoyed training. Hopefully I can learn and become a better player here.”

Challis is a right-sided centre-back, aged 18, who has joined from Birmingham City. The former Wales Under-18 and Under-19 skipper has penned a one-year deal.

Lyons-Foster arrives from Aston Villa and can operate in central defence or midfield. Previously a schoolboy with Tottenham Hotspur, the 20-year-old has also featured for England at a variety of youth levels and has signed up for six months initially.

Omofe has also signed a six-month contract. A big, powerful central midfielder, the 19-year-old moves to Ashton Gate from Chelsea.

All four are eligible for Jamie McAllister’s Under-21 team.

Meanwhile, Jake Andrews, James Difford, Ashley Harper, Charlie Harris, Joe McNulty, Cameron Pring and Harvey Moss have all become first-year professionals at the end of their scholarships.