Gambian youngster training with Coventry, eyes Stoke U21 trial

Pa Sulay Njie eyes Stoke trial

Gambian youngster, Pa Sulay Njie, is currently training with English League One side Coventry City with a view of earning a trial with Premier League club Stoke City, this blog can reveal.

Pa Sulay Njie, 20, is widely regarded as one of the finest youngsters in his position which resulted into him being offered a trial with the U21 team of Premier League side Stoke City.

Njie was unable to make the cut when invited for trial by Stoke City last year in 2012 but has been invited for trials again by The Potters who want to ‘have a proper look’ at him again.

In an exclusive interview with this blog, Njie revealed that he was released by The Sky Blues last year but his home town club offered him a chance to keep his fitness level till a new offer comes knocking for him.

“I played for Coventry City FC before although I got released but I am glad they are giving me the opportunity to train with them to keep my fitness,” Pa Sulay Njie said.

He added, “I got a good relationship with the club, so been training there to keep fitness because I am a free agent at the moment but I trialled with Stoke [City] end of last year and played few games and recently been invited back by them to have a proper look [again]”.

Pa Sulay Njie began his football career in 2002 at an early age with Pinley Youth, a local junior team in Coventry. He won Player of Year and the Golden Boot Award for top goalscorer in the same year.

He stayed with Pinley Youth until he was seen by a talent scout from Hinckley United, a top Semi-Professional team in the area. He continued to impress talent scouts and he signed with his home town club Coventry City in 2005. An injury interrupted his blossoming professional career.

After recovering from the injury, he returned to playing impressively and signed a 2 year contract with Conference National side Nuneaton Town FC. This was initially on an Academy Scholarship, but before long he was playing in the Nuneaton Town first team.

During his time there, the club won the Birmingham Senior Cup [a football competition for Birmingham County FA club teams, organized by the Birmingham County Football Association] and also received recognition from the Gambia Football Association, where he was invited to play in an Under-17 friendly.

He made his international debut playing for the Gambian Under-20 team against Sierra Leone in a 2011 African U-20 Championship qualification match on 24 July 2010. Whilst at Nuneaton Town he debuted in the English FA Cup against Lincoln City in 2010.

Njie was invited to the Gordon Strachan Football Foundation to work with the former professional and manager along with George Makie and Gary Breen whom he cites as mentors.