Will played for Westoning Youth FC as a young boy, with his family still helping at the club today. He played for a local Academy whilst continuing to develop his outfield skills at Westoning Youth FC, before making the brave decision to leave the Academy he was playing for to explore other options. He joined AFC Bournemouth in July 2016 and has recently been offered a full time contract with the 1st team. 

Bedfordshire’s FA Lidl Skills Team Leader, Steve Maker has coached Will over the years as a volunteer at Westoning FC and said, “Will has always shown dedication, a willingness to learn and a desire to push himself whenever I have coached him. It has been a privilege to coach him and play a small part in his development over the last 7 years. I wish him all the best for the future and encourage him to keep working hard to develop himself further – keep going Will!”

Westoning FCs Chairman has said, “We are very proud of Will’s achievement. Westoning is a small village club so it’s fantastic to have a player move on to a premier league club. I would also like to thank Steve Maker along with The FA Skills team, Will’s Westoning coaches for the support they have given Will over his 9 years at Westoning. Will is a great role model to the youngsters in the club, finding time to coach the young goalkeepers between his busy schedules over the last 9 years. We wish Will all the best in his football career.” 

Will said, “I would like to say a massive thank you to all the coaches and back room staff at Westoning. I was always coached from a young age to use my feet and play out from the back which Steve Maker and his skills team made a lot easier. He invested a lot of time into both mine and the clubs development. I hope Steve continues with his work with the youngsters within the club and Beds County FA to ensure we continue to develop great all round players for the future. 

I am sure you will join us in wishing Will all the best for the future and we hope to bring you more good news on the next steps in his journey soon!