Bristol City sign combative midfielder

Bristol City have found a unique way to add fight to their side in the future, by signing a Taekwon-Do champion.

The Robins beat off competition from Bristol Rovers and Southampton to land highly rated midfielder Theo Llewellyn, who puts new meaning in the word combative.

Theo, who has been tracked by Bristol City for the past two years, holds the English and British crowns for Taekwon-Do in the Second Kup category and styles his game on Chelsea enforcer Claude Makelele.

There's just one hitch, he's only eight years old.

Bristol City's recruitment officer, Kevin Scott, spotted Llewellyn aged six playing for a Bristol Rovers supporters' team in a summer tournament.

He has been following his progress ever since, with a view to signing him on a one-year contract (the legal maximum) at the first legal opportunity, his eighth birthday.

Theo's mother, Michele, revealed there was never any doubt who her son was going to join, despite competing offers from City's Bristol rivals and Southampton.

She said: "He chose City because it is the best academy in the country. The family are all Chelsea supporters but in Bristol we support City. He was playing for a Rovers team because it was closer to where we live."

The Bromley Heath Junior School pupil will be lining up opposite academy sides from clubs of the calibre of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham next season. But as one of 200 youngsters in the City academy his parents are well aware he is still a long way off a professional contract.

Theo's dad, John, has first-hand experience of the heartbreak of failing to make the grade. He was a promising footballer himself and trained with Leeds United from the age of 13.

But after setting his sights on a career with Leeds, the blow, at 16, of being released was enough to deter him from accepting any offers and he drifted out of the game.

"We keep Theo's feet firmly on the ground," said his mother. "He's bright and we make sure school comes first, so he'd always have something to fall back on. But we'll back him all the way with the football."

Academy manager John Clayton described Theo as an excellent prospect. He said: "He's a super little player. At this age you don't really have a position, and we try to move them around. He's that good he can play in any position.

"His passing is superb and he's very good on the ball. The main thing, given his age, is how calm he is. He's never flustered."

"It's a long way away before we decide to give professional contracts and there's a lot that can happen, girls, cars, drinking, etc. But he's one of the top-end players in his age group, has a really nice family and is a lovely lad."

Theo learns his Taekwon-Do with the North Bristol PUMA Taekwon-Do club, which holds training at Yate leisure centre. He won his British title last November and added the English one last month, but he is not the only family member to win martial arts silverware.

His sister, Ava Mary, six, recently became the Welsh champion for her category and came third at the English championships in Swindon last month.