AFC Totton
AFC TOTTON’S PLAYER DEVELOPMENT pathway has already begun to bear fruit this season with the emergence of players such as Owen Pelham, Diego Ramos and Brenno Narezzi from the Academy to become regulars for Totton & Eling, while continuing to edge closer to the fringes of the AFC Totton first team.
The latest young prospect to plot a path from The Stags’ junior ranks into adult football is Hugo Rawlings, who made his Totton & Eling debut in The Millers’ 1-1 draw at Petersfield Town on Saturday 16 November. The 16-year-old Romsey Secondary School student is a product of the AFC Totton U16s Blues team run by Simon Rogers, John Hilferty and Richard Beverley, for whom he plays predominantly as a striker. His 16 goals – including four hat-tricks – have contributed massively to the team’s healthy lead at the top of the City of Southampton Youth Football League U-16s Div.2 table.
Hugo began his burgeoning football career with Braishfield Bees U12s, before joining the then Romsey Town team run by Simon and John. Harry Brookwell, who is Hugo’s uncle, actively encouraged them to become part of the AFC Totton set-up, which they did last summer. Since then, Hugo’s goalscoring prowess quickly earned him recognition in the shape of a call-up to the AFC Totton FA Youth side, a team formed specifically for that competition by pulling together eligible players from throughout the club’s various youth, Academy and senior teams.
“Being told by Brett Williams and Scott Rendell that I was going to start against Folland Sports in the first FA Youth Cup match was probably the best moment for me since I’ve been at Totton,” said Hugo.
“I played the full game, and it was a very good experience playing against quicker and stronger opposition. I felt I performed quite well – I definitely got more into it in the second half, and came away keen wanting to play more football at that higher level.”
Although he was an unused substitute in the 0-3 defeat to Eastleigh on the Snows Stadium pitch that ended the team’s run, Hugo’s prolific form in front of goal with the U16s Blues continued, prompting Ben Hillman to give him his chance with The Millers as a second-half substitute in the Wessex League Division One encounter at Love Lane.
"Hugo has been training with us for a few weeks and hasn't looked out of place at all," said the Totton & Eling manager.
"He's earned his place in the match day squad and it was good to see him get on at the end against a very good Petersfield side. He adjusted to the tempo straight away and his work rate was very good, stopping them playing out from the back. He'll continue to train with us and I have no doubt he will push for a place in future match day squads. He has a very bright future ahead of him and a potentially promising career in non-league football."
Prompted to make the comparison, Hugo likens his own style of play to that of the Portuguese international forward Rafael Leao, whose goals powered AC Milan to lo Scudetto last season. Hugo describes himself as a pacy forward with the ability to get in behind defenders or dribble at them, when cutting in from wide areas. He prefers to play down the middle as a central striker but is also comfortable operating on the wings.
He identifies his parents as the biggest influences on his footballing progress to date, together with his Uncle Harry, and he says the AFC Totton coaching team, led by Simon Rogers, have been instrumental in guiding his development as a player over the last four years.
“I attended the trials for the AFC Totton Academy recently, but I’ve not decided yet what I want to do after my GCSEs. I’m quite interested in getting into engineering, so the next step in my education might follow that path rather than football.
“But for this season, I want to get as many minutes as I can for Totton & Eling and continue to improve my game by playing against opponents at that higher level, although I’d like to carry on at U16s, as well. And, in the longer term, I would love to one day play for the AFC Totton first team – hopefully alongside at least some of the current players.”
by Ben Rochey-Adams
Image courtesy of Chris Rawlings
