Lewis Rees nets a pro contract at TNS

Lewis Rees, 17, has played for TNS since 2016 when he was 14 and now he has a one year professional contract.

Previously, the A Level student had been a part of the Shrewsbury Town academy, where he had been playing for about seven years after joining at the age of eight.

The attacking player, who is normally a striker or plays on the wing, made his professional debut in January against Aberystwyth in the JD Welsh Cup, after training with the first team since the start of the year.

He has since played two games and been on the bench for three games before the coronavirus pandemic ended the season early in mid-March.

Lewis said: “I was delighted to have signed my first professional contract, it’s been my dream since I was a little boy and I still can’t quite believe it.

“I want to play well and look to progress and to get better and better. TNS play at a good standard and it is a good start but there are bigger football clubs out there.

“My dream would be to play for Liverpool as they are the team I have always supported.

“My mum and dad are also delighted. My dad, in particular, is over the moon. I think he has rarely missed a game since I was eight and we have travelled all over the country to games – it has been worth it now.”

Lewis said there has been a massive step up in his training regime since he became a professional player.

“It is a lot more intense with the training. There is a big difference in the standards between the first team and the under 19’s but I have just got to get on with it and keep fighting and believe in myself. I am there for a reason, the first team manager believes I am good enough and I just have to keep on training and playing.

“It has been a bit strange during lockdown without any proper team training and games but we have been having to train on our own at home.

“Most days we have been having to send our training statistics in and the training and conditioning coaches have been looking at them and giving us schedules.

“We have not got a date to start back yet because although Oswestry is in England, TNS plays in the Welsh League, so we have to follow Welsh Government rules.

“We are hoping to be able to start training at the end of June and then we will have a good pre-season training period as they have voided this season, so we will probably start the new season at the end of August.

“I am looking forward to getting back to playing football games.”

Knighton born and bred, Lewis attended Knighton Primary School and John Beddoes Secondary School until Year 11, before moving to Oswestry School to study A Levels in Sports Science, Business Studies and Psychology.

He has been given an unconditional offer to attend Cardiff Metropolitan University to study Sports Business Management but he plans to defer for one year.

Lewis said if he gets the chance to extend his TNS contract after one year, he would consider undertaking his university studies on a part-time basis.

Outside of his football, Lewis enjoys playing golf and watching other sports including rugby and Formula One.