An exciting football prospect from south London has been snapped up by UD Vilafranquense after impressing in his first season in Portugal.
Nathan Laleye, 17, has signed a deal with the second-division Portuguese side following a successful spell at Grupo Sportivo de Loures where he scored seven goals, with 10 assists in 19 games.
He will play in the first division under 19s championship and hopes to break through to the senior side after catching the eye with his pace and finishing last season.
Nathan has already scored two goals in his friendly debut for Vilafranquense against Afonsoeirense.
Nathan’s dad Richard Laleye told Player Impact: “When we made the journey from south London to Lisbon, I was always confident that my son would play football at the highest level in Portugal, and he delivered exactly that.
“Nathan has achieved his dream through his hard work in the gym and dedication on the pitch.”
Nathan moved to Grupo Sportivo de Loures last summer after becoming the youngest footballer to play for Guildford City FC in February 2021, aged just 16 years and two months.
The youngster hit the ground running for the club’s Under 17s side, scoring seven goals and assisting seven times in friendly matches.
He starred in a 3-1 friendly victory against Sporting Lisbon, after coming on in the last 20 minutes and scoring two.
It was no surprise Nathan was deadly in front of the goal, with Player Impact’s previous stat article on the youngster showing how prolific he was.
Nathan scored an impressive 74 goals in a single season at Dagenham and Redbridge’s youth team when he was just 11.
Richard added: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Paulo Valente, my son’s agent from All Talent Sports.
“This man has gone above and beyond to guide my son from the age of 14 to now at the age 17, signing for UD VILAFRANQUENSE under 19s.
“The moment my son landed in Portugal, Paulo has looked after him and helped him through difficult times and good times.”
What is Player Impact?
An agency that helps people from sports and media tell their stories on TV, Film and online.
Get in touch with our team by contacting us here.