Casey - Advanced Centre
After impressing in both training sessions and matches for CACT’s Advanced Centre, young footballer Casey signed for Charlton's academy.
Casey first joined the club at under-7 and under-8 level as part of the pre-academy programme. Although he wasn’t selected to progress into the academy at under-9 level, he continued his development in grassroots football before being identified again by CACT’s scouting team and referred back into the Advanced Centre in early 2024.
Since returning, Casey impressed in the Advanced Centre and strong performances at under-12 level, followed by further improvement with the under-13s, led to the Charlton recruitment team offering him an official eight-week trial. Following a successful trial period, Casey signed for the academy.
CACT Football & Sports Development Manager Bradley Marshall said: “Casey is a perfect example of a player who showed talent from a very young age. Although it didn’t quite work out for him at first, he continued developing at some excellent grassroots clubs. He later found his way back into the Advanced Centre through our scouting team and made an immediate impression. The standard within the Centre is incredibly high, and players need to consistently perform over a sustained period. Casey did exactly that, which earned him his successful academy trial. Congratulations to him - we wish him all the best in the academy.”
Reflecting on his journey from the Advanced Centre to joining the Charlton Academy, Casey said: “I think the Advanced Centre prepared me really well. They taught me everything I needed to work towards the academy. The standard there is really high and not far off academy level. The games I’m playing now [in the academy] are going well, and my coaches and teammates have been really nice. I’ve settled into academy life really quickly.”
Casey’s mum added: “He has become much more focused on his football since coming back to the Advanced Centre, after being spotted during a match while playing for his JPL team. With the help of the Advanced Centre, his confidence and his understanding of what position suits him best have both grown. That progress led to him being seen by the club again during a match, and he was invited into the academy for pre-trials the following week.”
Tony Mehmet, Academy Scout at Charlton, said: “We were delighted to bring Casey into the Advanced Centre for further assessment. The standard within the Centre is very high, and Casey was a player we continued to monitor closely. I’m pleased to see his hard work recognised and to see has signed for the club.”