Ramsgate teenage striker Lockyer impresses on Palace trial
Friday 05th February 2010
RAMSGATE youngster Gary Lockyer is hoping to have done enough to grab the attention of a Football League club after impressing during a trial with Crystal Palace last week.
Lockyer, 17, scored twice for the Eagles against a Queens Park Rangers youth side with a number of League One and Two scouts watching on.
The striker is waiting to hear back from a host of Football League clubs after impressing during a trial with Crystal Palace last week.
The hit-man is held in high esteem by those at Southwood and was recently spotted by a visiting scout during first team action.
"Somebody watched one of our first team games and thought that I was quite talented," Lockyer told www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk.
"He contacted me on Facebook and I thought it was somebody joking at first. Then he got in touch with a man at Palace who called my dad while I was at work. He asked if I wanted to come and give it a go against QPR so I went up to their training ground on the Thursday night.
"All of my team were trialists. QPR had their full team. They had 24 players! They brought on a whole new team for the second half but it was good. It was their under-16's and under-17's with a couple of 15's in there to try them out."
Lockyer wasted no time in showing off his talents to any watching scouts as he netted a brace.
"I played about seventy-five minutes, did quite well and scored a couple of goals," said the Ashford born youngster.
"The first one was just a ball over the top and I lobbed the keeper. The second one, I closed the defender down and he misplaced it. I picked the ball up and just bent it into the top corner - it was quite a nice goal. There was a good pace to the game and I liked it."
He returned to Ryman League action last Saturday and came off the bench during the Rams disappointing home 6-1 defeat against Sittingbourne.
Over the next few days though Lockyer is sure to be glued to the phone as he awaits a call from any prospective suitors.
He said: "I'm hoping to hear something back this week. I was told that there was a couple of scouts from League One and League Two there and hopefully I'll hear something soon and they will let me know where I stand. I'm excited."
Meanwhile, Ramsgate boss Jim Ward has this week unveiled the signing of striker Joe Taylor, 18, from Margate.
Taylor was called up to the Margate first team squad at the start of last season as a 17-year-old, making his debut in the FA Cup and made more regular appearances near the end of the season.
Article courtesy of www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk
Worthing v Ramsgate
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 6th February 2010
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Woodside Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 7HQ