Teen star earns second shot at glory

Needham Market's Ace Howell has been handed a contract until the end of the season at Ipswich Town’s academy.

The Ryman North club announced on Saturday that their talented 18-year-old winger had earned himself a second shot at glory after trialing at the Championship club over the last few weeks.

The 18-year-old, who arrived at Bloomfields to join the club's academy in June 2013 and leaves behind his brother Lamel, has been praised by the Marketmen’s academy head coach and former Ipswich player Kevin Horlock for bouncing back from a failed trial last year at his former club where he was once a part of the youth set-up.

In a statement released by the Suffolk outfit hailing the news, Horlock said he hopes his player can now demonstrate that he has all the attributes needed to carve out a long term career in the professional game with the Tractor Boys.

Horlock said: "We are thrilled that another of our young scholars has been presented with an opportunity to return to the full time game, particularly at a club of such stature.

"Ace is a talented young player with great potential and in his time at Needham Market we have sought to harness that natural ability, not only within the academy set-up but also within Mark Morsley’s first team squad where he has gained experience from playing alongside and sitting in the same dressing room as players of great quality and significant experience in the professional game.

"The opportunity that Ace has got emphasises that young players who have the ability, desire and application to play at the highest level can achieve their goal.

"We as a club take great pride in the hard work that is put in on a daily basis within the academy by staff and players alike, and this is further recognition of the quality of our academy product and the emphasis that we as a football club place on the development of our own talent."

He added: "All at Needham Market FC wish Ace the very best of luck in the months ahead."

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