First star graduates to the pro game!

The NPL Football Academy's coaches and tutors are celebrating their first success story after Romulus star Yohan Rutty-Smith signed for Notts County.

After making history back in November as the first NPLFA student to play first team football for the First Division South's Roms, the 16-year-old has now become the first to progress to the professional game after signing for the League One club.

The left-back, pictured, signed a two year deal at Meadow Lane on Monday only five months after the NPLFA opened its doors to its first intake of students at five pilot clubs - Leek Town, Mickleover Sports, Newcastle Town, Radcliffe Borough and the Roms.

In doing so the EVO-STIK NPL became the first league in English football to launch a youth league and academy combining football with further education. Since then, four more clubs have signed on to join next season, First Division North Mossley AFC the latest recruit in January.

Hailing the production of their first graduate to the professional ranks so quickly after the NPLFA's foundation, a spokesman said: "We are delighted at this news and very proud. Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine we would get our first professional graduate five months into the programme which just shows how successful it has been in it's short time.

"Our aim first and foremost is to give our students the best educational package available to enable them to have a successful working career and we are also committed with our expertise to producing young footballers. Firstly for the first teams of the clubs involved but also to give those youngsters a second chance or even their first chance of becoming a professional footballer.

"Credit must go to Richard Evans and his staff at Romulus FC who are running a very successful programme there as shown in their educational and football results. It's another player to come through the system at The Roms and they are obviously delighted and proud of young Yohan."

He added: "Everyone at the NPL Football Academy wishes Yohan the best of luck in his professional career and hopes he can continue his studies that he has worked hard for so far this season."

A proud Romulus spokesman added: "The academy is gutted to lose such a great young talent, but, on the other hand and more importantly, we are all delighted that he has been given this fantastic opportunity with professional outfit Notts County."

Launched back in April with the backing of the Football Association to provide career pathways into the football industry, NPLFA students study on two year courses for Level 3 Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualifications while being trained on a daily basis by UEFA 'B' qualified coaches and competing in the EVO-STIK NPL Youth League, the academy's own FA sanctioned competition.

Follow the new academy's progress at nplfa.co.uk, twitter.com/NPLFA and at facebook.com/NPLFootballAcademy. To register your please go to: www.nplfa.co.uk

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