Find out more about Huddersfield Town up and coming youngsters
- Latest #YoungTerriers in focus series
- Town shines the spotlight on the Club’s Academy talent
- Today we look at Under-19s leftback Jaheim Headley
With the coronavirus putting paid to Town’s fixture list until 30 April at the least, we’ve decided to throw the spotlight on some of the up and coming Young Terriers in the Academy!
Today we take a closer look at versatile Under-19 regular Jaheim Headley, who is in his second season with the Club.
Hailing from Southwark, London, Jaheim first joined the Town Academy as a 16-year-old. Although he had previously been on the books at Millwall, he joined the Terriers from Mass Elite Academy; a private football Academy in London that tries to get players aged between 12 and 16 into professional clubs.
Town had formed new relationships with private Academies like Mass Elite after making the change to the Academy system in the summer of 2018 and Lee Mellor, one of the coaching team, organised for a series of trialists to spend time in Huddersfield.
Jaheim was one of those trialists from Mass Elite and he marked himself out from the group by asking Academy Manager Leigh Bromby what he was looking for from him in a game. Playing as a midfield six in that match, he showed his ability to burst past opponents.
He arrived to begin his two-year scholarship as a midfielder, and he has enjoyed a lot of game-time on the wing and in the centre of midfield. However, it is as a left back that Jaheim has found his home, where his power and direct style are assets both in defence and attack.
Jaheim was a virtual ever-present for the Under-17s in his debut season, netting seven goals in 29 starts, but he also made an impressive 24 appearances for the Elite Development Team and Under-19s!
He also won the 2019 Waterworth Trophy for Academy Goal of the Year, firing home a powerful drive to cap a fantastic team move in the Under-17s’ 2-1 win over Manchester United in November 2018.
Given that rapid progression, Jaheim’s next step was senior football and he has enjoyed his first spells in non-league this season. On top of three goals in 16 appearances for Town’s Academy sides, he netted once in five appearances for Vanarama National League North side Bradford (Park Avenue) before a further four starts for Hyde United later in the year.
Now 18, Jaheim is eligible to represent England, the United States or Jamaica through his heritage.
Have a look at our other profiles of the #YoungTerriers:
You can keep a close eye on the youngsters' development on Twitter via @htafcacademy.
