Exciting young scholarship prospect Mauro Vilhete signed a two year contract with Barnet this afternoon ... and was then told by stand-in manager Paul Fairclough that he was travelling to Grimsby Town for the crunch League 2 relegation battle against Grimsby Town.
Mauro, born within the proverbial stone's throw of Underhill, is a16 - year-old right winger. He would be the youngest player in the Bees' history if he gets on at Blundell Park.
Just over a year ago Mauro was in class 11 at Ravenscroft School in Barnet Lane coding games and providing analysis for Barnet FC through the ProZone scheme. He sat down one-to-one with striker Cliff Akurang (on a season's long loan at Rushden & Diamonds) to discuss his role,
Mauro came to prominence when he was voted Player of the Tournament at Stamford Bridge playing for Barnet's award winning Kickz project in a national competition.
Ian Hendon put Mauro on the bench for the home game against Hereford United last November, but plans to bring him on late in the game changed with the score at 0-0 in a tense finish.
Several Premier League clubs eyed the Vilhete talent and Aston Villa offered him a scholarship. Mauro chose his home town team instead. He has been training with the first team squad at The Hive this week alongside players twice his age, Paul Furlong, Micah Hyde and Gary Breen.
He is the second signing from Barnet's Centre of Excellence - last week www.barnetfc.com announced Reece Yorke, a 17-year-old England U18 schoolboy international defender who attends Stanmore College. He was seen on TV last week in the England schoolboys' defeat of Scotland and is scheduled to play again against the Republic of Ireland tomorrow.
Head of Youth Jeremy Steele says: "Mauro is an exciting prospect, the sort of player that has the potential to get crowds on their feet with his pace and ability to beat players.
"For the Centre of Excellence to have two players secure professional contracts in our first year is a phenomenal achievement.
"To think that there was nothing here 10 months ago, no players, no teams, no staff and a half-finished training ground".
Dennis Signy. (Photograhy by Bhavik Haria)
