Bristol City have high hopes for many of the talents coming through their academy and few are more highly regarded than James Morton.
The 20-year-old midfielder has started six league games and come off the bench four times in the league for Forest Green Rovers this season, with Mark Cooper's team currently top of League Two.
Morton has impressed with his range of passing and composure in the middle of the pitch, while he grows accustomed to senior football and the hurly-burly of lower league football.
Forest Green Rovers fans have even likened Morton to an NFL Quarterback given his playing style: sitting deep in midfield and dictating play for his team. Indeed his pass completion rate of 85% is the seventh highest in the entire division (minimum of nine appearances) while his 4.7 accurate long passes per game place him in the top 15 in the league.
Not bad at all for a rookie season.
"Originally, I had my first trial with Bristol City when I was seven, but, at the time, I didn’t want to go into academy football," explained Morton, a product of the successful Bristol Inner City football academy run by Patrick Williams, who have supplied a string of players to the Robins academy.
"I was really young and I just stayed playing football locally for 10 years with several different teams.
"I had some training with Southampton for a couple of years and I really just wanted to enjoy football with my mates.
"At under 15s, I got scouted by Bristol City, had a trial and it felt right and I wanted to take on the pressures of it at that stage and, thankfully, it has turned out pretty successful," he explained to the official Forest Green Rovers website.
It certainly has after successful loan spells at Chippenham Town and Bath City. And things are going well over in Nailsworth, with a one point lead over Bradford, Swindon Town and Crewe in League Two currently.
The former Bath City man is on the right path and also explained how his faith plays a role in his mindset and career.
"It translates in every part of it really. Every day I want to be my best as a human being and in my job, but ultimately I want to play for God because I believe he has done so much for me and I want to give that back," he said.
"Every gym session, every match, I want to be the best example I can and it has changed my life and I am grateful for the opportunity from God for where I am at the moment."
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