Blue Square South club Hampton & Richmond Borough have signed former Chelsea midfielder James Simmonds.
A former Chelsea Academy and reserve team player, Simmonds was released by the Blues in 2008 and joined the Glenn Hoddle Academy in Spain, having gained some experience during ` a loan spell with Cardiff City.
Simmonds from Ealing in London, a talented central midfielder, was initially lost to the game following his release from Chelsea and impressed at the Glenn Hoddle Academy Club trials held at the Chelsea Training Ground. He joined twenty other hopefuls, all with the goal of securing a full-time career in professional football.
He worked hard throughout his year in Spain following a unique and personally designed development programme, supervised personally by Hoddle at the Academy.
He then sealed a one-year contract with Spanish club Écija Balompié in September 2009 but has now returned to England and joined up the Beavers.
