Stone ready for step up from non-league
At the age of 16, goalkeeper Aidan Stone was released by Walsall but a season playing in the Midland League for Brocton FC has helped him win a deal with Premier League Burnley.
He’s enjoyed virtually a full season as first choice goalkeeper at Brocton from where Burnley signed Harry Flowers during last season, and having impressed Burnley scouts he was invited for a trial.
Speaking to the Staffordshire Newsletter, Stone said: “The first day I went up, I walked into the canteen and Robbie Brady was sitting down, you’ve also got George Boyd, all of those first team players and they’re all saying ‘hello’ to you, and the weekend before you were watching them on Match of the Day and you’re a bit like ‘is this real?’
“I went up on the Monday and played against Wolves on the Tuesday and played really well. Then they said: ‘We’re going to offer you a contract for next season’. It’s an environment you just want to be in for the rest of your life. It’s given me a lot of things to think about if I want to push on and get myself another contract.”
He’s now been given another opportunity at a league club and he said of his release from Walsall: “That spurred me on to want to get into a non-league set up and then kick on properly.”
He’s certainly done that. Having quickly become first choice at Brocton, he played for England earlier this year at under-18 schoolboy level and he now leaves Brocton with their good wishes. His manager Dave Berks said: “Aidan has a real level head on him and will in my opinion go on to play levels higher in the game.”
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