BURTON Albion second year scholar Will Tamen has signed his first professional contract with the club.
Will joined the Academy in November 2022 at under-16s. He wasn’t long signed before signing his scholarship deal, impressing with his aggressive defensive style. He has been part of a the first-team squad on a number of occasions and recently made his senior debut in the EFL Trophy against Everton under-21s.
Professional Development Phase Lead Coach Keith Gilroy is full of praise for Tamen, saying: “I think this is testament to Will and his performances at the start of the season. Getting his professional deal signed early is important because it’s assured him we’re committed to his development and should give him the confidence that the club has recognised his potential early. It’s important that as an academy that when we believe a player has more to come that we give him that vote of confidence early.
“He came in as a raw talent and he’s still got loads to go but we have seen a lot of growth from him in the past couple of seasons and when he trains with the first team he handles the environment well. He hasn’t reached his ceiling yet and we believe there’s a lot more to come. Equally when you’re aligned with the first-team manager seeing the same things, it connects nicely that this is the right time for Will.
“He's a very level headed boy and what you get with Will is that his attitude and application to everything he does, whether it’s on or off the pitch or in the gym, he just wants to better himself.”
After signing his professional deal, Tamen said: “It’s amazing to sign my contract. I want to thank God, the staff and the people around me for all of their support and of course my parents for everything they’ve done for me.
“Gilly (Keith Gilroy) has told me to stay focussed and remember my goals. Of course I’m still only 18 and I’ve still got to perform and it’s just about putting in the hard work to get into the first-team.
“Right now I just want to focus on developing myself as much as I can so when I go out onto the pitch I’m ready.“
Burton Albion first-team manager Dino Maamria said: “Will is an exciting young player and we’ve been monitoring his progress over the past three years. He’s been involved in the first-team squad in the past and has trained with us since pre-season and hopefully he can make an impact this season.
“We’re delighted to have him for the long term and we look forward to seeing him become an integral part of the first-team squad.