WEST BROM-mad Nuneaton youngster Lewis Landers has landed a dream academy contract - with the Baggies’ big rivals Aston Villa! The eight-year-old goalie from Newquay Close, Horeston Grange, was spotted by a Villans scout playing for St Nicolas Tigers under 9s and was snapped up on a six-game trial. And he made his Villa debut against - you’ve guessed it - West Bromwich Albion. The scouts were so impressed after his trial that they offered him a full academy contract, and he’s already faced up to the best youngsters Chelsea and Liverpool have to offer. Proud as punch dad Dene, who is also a huge Baggies fan, can spot a good footballer - he played for Nuneaton Borough in the early 1980s before a knee injury caused him to retire at just 29 years old. And he said he “knew Lewis had it as soon as he kicked a ball”. He added: “I could tell straight away that he had two good feet, but he started to go in goal and he just took to it. Ever since it has been brilliant. He went for trials and there were no end of players there. But he got through and they offered him a short-term contract. “They came to us after and said they were really impressed with Lewis and that he was making a real name for himself.” Dene is assistant manager at St Nicolas Tigers and his son has only been playing for them for a year and a half. And already he’s progressed to training four times a week with Villa and is looking forward to his next game - a visit to Manchester United. Dene said: “It is a fantastic set-up [at Villa] and they have been fantastic with Lewis. I never thought I would be saying that as a West Brom fan.
I was at one of the games and I was cheering for Villa. Lewis was joking with me that he never thought he would hear me do that! “We gave him a goal as a present last Christmas and he spent five hours practising on Christmas Day. He only came inside for his dinner. That’s how dedicated he is.” Today isn’t the first time young Lewis has featured in the pages of the Tribune - just last March we told the tale of Lewis being the Baggies’ lucky mascot on their route to the FA Cup semi-final. He won the draw to be the mascot not once but twice, and on both occasions his favourite team hit five goals on their way to wins against Coventry City and Bristol Rovers. | 
Article
