Aldershot Town have won the race to sign Willand Rovers forward Ollie Bray on an 18-month contract, as confirmed via a statement on the club’s website.
The 20-year-old had impressed on trial at several EFL and Premier League clubs but he has opted to sign for the Shots due to his demands of playing professional football rather than development football.
Bray has had an impressive 18 months for the Non-League side, contributing to double figures for goal contributions in each of his last two seasons. This season alone, the forward has scored four goals and provided a further six assists in just 13 appearances, sparking the interest of several top-flight and EFL sides.
Aldershot Town have earned plenty of success in terms of their recruitment over the last few months, including playmaker Josh Stokes who has made the jump from the Non-League scene into one of the division’s best players.
At 6ft3, Bray will bolster the club’s attacking options which already possess the likes of Jack Barham, Kwame Thomas and Lorent Tolaj. However, Bray also knows how to find the back of the net and that could be something that further strengthens Aldershot’s play-off aspirations this season.
The forward has opted to play professional football rather than make a switch to play development football, which suggests that he is already determined to make a name for himself rather than slip away in youth football.
Upon signing for the football club, manager Tommy Widdrington told the club website…
“Ollie is a young, athletic striker, who’s played a lot of senior football for his age.
“He’s been to train with a couple of Premier League and EFL clubs – all of whom showed real interest – but he wants a challenge in the senior game rather than development football.
“We had him in for a week so we both could see how each other worked and I’m delighted he’s joining us as I’m sure there were/are plenty of clubs that have been keen to land him.”
Writer’s View
Judging by Bray’s decision to play pro football instead of youth speaks volumes about his character and passion for the game and I think this is going to be an excellent signing.
Aldershot Town have had plenty of highs so far this season, further pushing their dreams of returning to the EFL once again and this is yet another positive for the club.