A young Cardiff City footballer will be turning to the track this weekend when he lines up for the Celtic Schools Under-16 Athletic International at UWIC.
Bro Morgannwg schoolboy Steffan Jones, 15, has already been spotted by the Bluebirds for his fancy footwork on the pitch. Now, it seems he is also excelling as a budding sprinter.
He lines up this weekend in the 60m and 200m relay against the cream of under-16 athletics talent as Wales, Ireland and Scotland go head to head in the Celtic Schools’ International on Sunday.
He was spotted by selectors when he won silver over 100m at the Welsh Schools’ Championships last summer. He earned his spot after victory at county level.
Jones – who lives with his family in Welsh St Donats - explains, “I ran in the summer and I didn’t hear anything for a while and then I got a letter asking me to race in the Celtic Indoors. It came as a complete surprise.
“I started going to athletics in the summer when football training had paused. My football coaches have said that speed is my biggest attribute so it definitely helps my game.”
He was first spotted by Cardiff at the age of nine. He is now a member of their under-16 squad and he has the potential to be taken onto a scholarship contract when he turns 17.
His father, Dylan, explains, “Football’s his first love in the sense that he’s very committed – he trains for two hours every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. He then travels on Saturdays to play other academy teams such as Tottenham Hotspur.”
For more information, please contact Jane Williams at Welsh Athletics on 029 2033 8274
