Dev swoops for Chelsea youngster (From Your Local Guardian)

Dev swoops for Chelsea youngster

1:08pm Monday 8th March 2010 in

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Hampton & Richmond Borough boss Alan Devonshire handed James Simmonds his Beavers debut at Worcester on Saturday and the former Chelsea youngster and Glenn Hoddle Academy graduate responded with a sterling performance on a 1-0 win at Worcester City.

Simmonds has been training with the Beavers for several weeks following his return from Spain after a spell with Edija Balomposie Sad, and the 22-year-old's international clearance was finally received late last week.

Simmonds, a regular member of Chelsea’s reserve side and a former England youth international, had a spell on loan at Cardiff City before heading to Glenn Hoddle’s Academy in Montecastillo in southern Spain.

Handed a midfield role on Saturday, Simmonds impressed, showing some nice touches and excellent vision in an unfamiliar midfield line-up alongside Karl Beckford and Craig Dundas, with Stuart Lake and Nathan Collier missing out through injury.