Torquay United are set
to tie up Northern Irish youth product Levi Ives on a professional contract.
Ulsterman Ives, 17,
who plays at left back, is currently a second year trainee scholar at
Plainmoor- and arguably the most promising youngster from their revamped youth
system, which was re-launched in 2007- has impressed for the Gulls in youth
team games and pre-season friendly fixtures prior to the current campaign- and
manager Chris Hargreaves is now set to offer him his first senior deal.
He has also hinted at handing
him his professional debut in the coming weeks.
As well as appearing
for Torquay in their pre-season programme, Ives also featured for Northern Ireland
in the Milk Cup, an international youth tournament staged in the province,
where he was awarded a Man of the Match award in one of their games.
Before the Gulls’
youth set-up was shut down by former Chairman Mike Bateson in 2004, a number of
highly talented youngsters were nurtured; these included former Manchester
United and England winger
Lee Sharpe, ex Jamaican internationals Paul Hall and Darren Moore, current Swansea City boss Garry Monk and Newcastle
United defender Mike Williamson.
Also should Ives go on
to receive Under-21 international recognition with Northern Ireland during his
stay at Plainmoor, he will become the third Gulls’ player to do so in recent
times; In 2010, Eunan O’Kane-prior to his switch to the Republic- and Billy
Kee, who recently earned United a fee in the region of £80,000 through a
sell-on clause following his move from Burton Albion to Scunthorpe United, both
appeared for the province between 2010 and 2011.
