Thetownend.com

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Swindon-Town-snap-up-13-year-old-midfielder-from-the-Cayman-Islands-article825318.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

"It's a tremendous opportunity for him to advance his football abilities."

Indeed, a good stepping stone before turning out for Manchester United.  I wonder if he'll get on well with Atiku...

Signing these foreigners is frustrating as you can't get excited like you can with a Neil Ruddock or Jamie Cureton or Leon Clarke signing....

13 ?! FFS

Personally I'll be fucking furious if he hasn't broken into the first team by Christmas.

More likely to break into your car.

If he has signed an 18 month contract, are we paying him wages at that age ???

He best have some international caps for them otherwise this is truly underwhelming

Same age as Leon Clarke basically. Well mental age anyway.

If this was FM12 he would never get a work permit.

Mrtinez said

'It has always been my dream to play for Swindon Town in the 4th tier of english football, ever since I was a foetus.  Ever since seeing the swashbukling side forged by Maurice Malpas, I have dreamt of riding my trike over the magic roundabout to play in front of an half full ground of grumbling malcontents.  Now Im off to see if Ive got any pubes'

I chuckled that his dads name was Barry

Considering that I don't own a car, I denounce this as a terrible signing.

Barry Martinez - are we sure spacey isnt behind this or something?

Well as it's the first of November here and they are upside down etc etc, It must be April 1st there.  Sounds like right bollocks to me.

Seems Fitzroy Simpson put this one together:
http://www.caribbeansportsnetwork.com/cms/concacaf-champions-league/8654-martinez-making-waves-with-brits-

Bit more info:

http://www.caribbeansportsnetwork.com/cms/concacaf-champions-league/9194-martinez-kicks-off-new-adventure

Ha, I might bump into Fitz later. I'll have to ask him....

Fitz has two lads on our books?  Never knew that.  Add in Billy Bodin, steal Johnny Moncur's boy from West Ham...did Fraser have any boys?  Glenn Hoddle, Micky Hazard?  We could be well on our way to something here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSVBh4PvDsI

Some youtube footage of when he was 11.

He's clearly a genius.

He's a midget. Quite a skilful one at that.

He could be the new Sonny Pike.

So he's 13, we sign him on an 18 month contract. So if he turns out to be decent, one of the big clubs will snap him up by 15. Ace.

For bugger all under the new guidelines

I'm not sure we should be looking to develop 13 year olds from the Caribbean for profit in any case.  It won't cost us much to look after him for now, and he'll more than likely raise the standard of our youth set up.  It can't hurt.

 :D

He looks ace. Start him on saturday.

If Steve Cowe can play up front for Swindon, then this midget kid can.

I was referring to Steve Cowe's lack of height, not his shitness.

He's probably better than most of last season's squad.

This season is so surreal, its like me playing Football Manager.

Buy lots of foreign freebies, get rid of all the old Swindon squad 1 by 1.

Buy far too many strikers and attacking midfielder/wingers compaired other positions, some of them never actually playing more than 1 or 2 games.

Send scouts out to lesser footballing nations and bring in talented youngsters for the future (unlike PdC though I need work permits for these little kids).

Have a fallout with at least 1 good player and send him packing, out on a transfer or freebie.

Lose games when I should win them.

Do better at home than away.

Always win the Championship of the division I am playing in ;)

FM stats?

Spots 8/10
Cleanliness 4/10
Stoppiness 7/10
Tidy Bedroom 1/10
I hate you I wish you weren't my parents 9/10

Did better than what Kerrouche did in his youtbe vid, therefore that warrants a start on saturday for Martinez

What is the point of having him on an 18 month deal if he's only 13? Waste of time.

Just seems like a normal kid who gets a contract from a club but a fuss had been made because hes foreign. Also took a 6 week trial to get him a 18 month contract, isn't that Pavettest.

What a cutie.

Does anyone know if he's in the squad for Saturday?

A friend of mine who works for the Cayman Islands FA probably had something to do with this, as he used to live next door to Fitzroy in Stratton when he was younger.
But to put the standard of the football out there in to perspective, their national team are ranked 185/203, 1 place below Afghanistan. So I guess it can only be a good thing that he's come over at such a young age.

This lad looks a talent, and probably good job he has come over to England. You have got to ask yourself what the standard is like in the Caymen so will be interesting to see how he develops and hopefully in 18 months time he will be knocking on the door for a youth team contract. I have seen players in England of similar ability at a younger age, 2 or 3 alone in my sons team, one player of which has scored nearly 300 goals over past 3 and half seasons he has been scouted for Sunderland, Sheff w, Sheff u, Hull City and Leeds, like i said lets hope he comes good and can star for swindon in the next 4 or 5 years time.

If you're looking for a midget, Leigh Barnard.

 :clap: :D