Sheffield Wednesday academy goalkeeper Jack Hall has penned his first professional contract with the League One outfit, capping off a remarkable week for the stopper who made his England Under-18 debut against Russia last Monday.
The promising youngster has risen all the way through the Owls academy system and has established himself as a regular trainer with Darren Moore’s first team squad. Despite being just 17, Hall has made the step up to Lee Bullen’s Under-23 side this season, impressing the coaching staff enough to earn himself a pro deal.
After committing his future to the Owls, Hall told the club website: “You can’t explain it. I’m speechless. It’s been a dream forever. I used to be a ball boy, I’ve come all the way through, been here since I was six or seven and it’s unreal.
“I’m training with the first team and it’s been a massive step up – some shots can pass you before you’ve even seen them – but it’s just about adapting to it, getting up to speed. I’m still growing, still learning and trying to get better every day.
“My mum is a Wednesday fan. My grandad is a massive Wednesday fan too and used to take my mum and her two sisters.
“It has been a great month for me and it shows dreams can come true.”
Wednesday boss Moore added: “He’s a young goalkeeper that’s growing in stature and he’s currently training with the first-team players.
“He’s been exposed to the finishing powers of a [Lee] Gregory, a [Saido] Berahino, a [Callum] Paterson and one thing that he’s illustrated to us is – the shots and the precision of each striker – for somebody of that age to be training with the first-team shows you what the team think of him and long may his development continue.
“We’ve got two excellent goalkeeping coaches here in Adriano Basso and Nicky Weaver so he’s in good hands and he’s developing nicely.”
