Daniel Ballard

A tough-tackling defender with the passing range of a midfielder, Daniel’s dominant performances for the under-18s led to him making his Premier League 2 debut against Tottenham Hotspur last season.

Daniel capped his first outing at under-23 level with a goal and also scored twice from 16 appearances in the U18 league.

He captained the youth team to the final of the FA Youth Cup, playing all eight games in the run, scoring twice. Daniel signed his first pro contract in June 2018, just over two years on from when he was originally released as a schoolboy.

Daniel joined League Two side Swindon Town for a season-long loan spell at the start of the 2019/20 season, but had to end his loan prematurely and return to the club due to injury at the end of August.