SAM WILSON

D.O.B: 08/10/1994

BIRTH PLACE: Southampton

Previous Clubs:

-

Position: Striker

Nationality: English

STATS 2010-2011

Games Played (Sub Appearances): 1

Goals: 1

EFC All time - up to end of 2010/2011 season

Games Played: 1

Goals: 1

Eastleigh League Debut:

13th August 2011, v Basingstoke Town

   

Sam Wilson is a young and enthusiastic striker who scored 10 league goals for the reserves from 19 starts in the 2010/11 season. 

The promising forward is hoping to make the step up into Ian Baird's first team this year, despite his tender age.

Sam has graduated from the youth ranks at the football club and has signed up for Eastleigh FC's full time Player Development programme.

Exciting prospect for Eastleigh FC having progressed from the current youth team set up. Made his first team debut in a Hampshire Senior Cup tie versus Havant & Waterlooville in January 2011.

Wilson came off the bench for his first team league debut against Basingstoke Town on the opening day of the 2011/12 season.

Sam has made great progress in a short space of time for the Spitfires and penned a two-year-deal with the club in October 2011. Having already attracted the interest of Premier League side Fulham, where the livewire striker spent two successful weeks on trial, Sam has definitely got a lot of potential.

 "Sam has made amazing progress since joining us and we have every confidence that, under the guidance of manager Ian Baird, he has a very good chance of playing at a much higher level," said Spitfires director of football Dave Malone.

After impressing on an initial week's assessment with Fulham, West End lad Wilson was invited back for training the following week.

He ended his stay with the Craven Cottage club by scoring twice for their academy side in a 4-1 win over Portsmouth on the morning of his 17th birthday.

Fulham will be monitoring him between now and the end of the year and Eastleigh have promised to give them first refusal on the former Wildern schoolboy until the situation is reviewed in early 2012.

Reflecting on his time with Fulham, Wilso - a Liverpool fan said: "It was good, I really enjoyed it. Everybody made me feel welcome.

"I didn't train with the first team, but I saw the players in the canteen. Bobby Zamora wasn't there because he was away on England duty, but it was nice to see people like Danny Murphy and Brede Hangeland.

"I could have gone and spoken to them and picked their brains if I'd wanted to, but I didn't want to pester anyone.

"Fulham said I'd done well there and they would keep an eye on me and see how I progress. They told me I need to work on my hold-up play, which I already know. I've got to learn to get my body between the ball and the player."

At Eastleigh, Wilson feels he is in the perfect enviroment to improve. Having joined the club in the 2010/11 season after a year with the Portsmouth Academy, he was one of the first to sign up for the Spitfires' full-time development scheme.

"Eastleigh have helped me a lot already. I've developed much more that I believed I could in a year, working my way up from Darren Waterman's reserves. Ian Baird coaches us and the senior players like Jamie Slabber, Tom Jordan and Jamie Brown give advice and help the younger players develop their game. 

 "I'll try and progress as much as I can and see what comes of it."