Academy graduates pen first professional contracts

The club is delighted to announce that Academy graduates Kyle Seymour, James McGeorge and Callum Dobson (pictured left to right in the image above) have signed their first professional contracts.

Goalkeeper Dobson and midfielder McGeorge, both 19, trained regularly with the first-team during the 2022-23 season and have now been rewarded for their efforts after completing their time in the club’s Academy.

Seymour, another goalkeeper, played a key role in the Under-18s’ run to the first round of the FA Youth Cup last term and also caught the eye when stepping up to first-team training.

All three will now get the opportunity to compete for a place in the Mariners’ squad for the start of the National League North season.

South Shields manager Julio Arca said: “It’s very important to have a strong link with the Academy, and we’re delighted to reward Callum, James and Kyle with their first professional contracts.

“We are committed to providing opportunities for our young players to keep growing and improving, and pre-season will be an especially important period for them.

“The aim is to make sure we have the same philosophy and style of football running through the whole club, and although that won’t happen in a matter of weeks, it’s definitely something we want in the long-term.

“We’ve got a strong group of young players here and we’re looking forward to seeing how they develop.”

South Shields head of professional development Jon Shaw said: “I’m very happy for the lads and this is a deserved reward for them, because they were exceptional in their times with the Academy.

“We want them to grab this opportunity with both hands and ensure they make the most of it.

“On paper, we have a successful Academy, as we have proved with the results in the cup competitions and FA Youth Cup, and that isn’t down to luck.

“They’re good players and they work hard, and it’s important that they are rewarded at the end of that.

“This is a sign that the link between the first-team and Academy is strengthening, and now it’s up to the players to continue to work hard and do whatever they can to take a shirt from one of the existing first-team lads.”