:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44277644/459170944.0.jpg)
It's always a special day for young players when they sign their first professional deals, and today Chelsea academy product Jake Clarke-Salter became the latest youngster to put pen to paper and start being paid for his efforts:
Congratulations to @j_cs97 who signed his professional contract #CFC pic.twitter.com/JNpfhiB37q
— CarefreeYouth (@CarefreeYouth) December 4, 2014
Clarke-Salter originally joined the club as an under-9, and has been at the academy ever since. After dealing with some fairly major injuries during the 2012/13 season, the young center back made 14 appearances during the 2013/14 season for the U18 side, including the semis and final of the FA Youth Cup. He scored a pair of goals during his breakthrough season.
The youngster has also featured for England at the U18 level, as seen in the picture above. Congratulations on signing for Chelsea (and the paycheck that comes along with it), and keep up the good work.