Ade Abayomi confirms his talented winger has been on trial with Premier League side
Tower Hamlets manager Ade Abayomi is thrilled Randell Williams has impressed the hierarchy at Crystal Palace and confirmed the 18-year-old is set to sign for the Premier League club.
A number of young players have caught the eye at the Mile End Stadium club this season in the Essex Senior League.
Omar Rowe has moved to National League South outfit Bishop’s Stortford while O’Neal Rowe has joined League Two side Barnet after shining for the east Londoners.
Williams is set to be the next to depart Hamlets and his soon-to-be former manager believes it shows talented footballers should never stop believing.
Palace boss Alan Pardew revealed last week that a youngster on trial at the club had “done very well,” but was trying not to reveal the name of the winger.
It is no real secret that Williams is the man with the Premier League team and he’ll be signing for them soon.
Abayomi said: “Randell has trained with the Crystal Palace first team so it shows that our philosophy at the club is working.
“Just because players of an early age at 18 or 19 haven’t been at an academy or aren’t at one doesn’t mean it is over for them.
“Our decision to introduce the young players to the first team for this season has paid off. You only have to type in Alan Pardew on Google to see what he has said about Randell, even if he tries not to name him!
“There are three of them that have moved on now and it is difficult for the club, but you want the best for each player.
“I have known Randell for 10 years so I am very happy that we have played a role in his development.”
The Hamlets boss went on to explain how a club in the Essex Senior League – the ninth tier of English football – has had so many scouts watching their games.
He revealed that Omar Rowe, who played for Southampton twice in the Capital One Cup during the 2013/14 season, was the main reason for the number of Football League clubs watching matches at the Mile End Stadium.
And Abayomi, who coached the Hamlets under-18s last year, admitted the talented youngsters leaving the east London outfit for bigger and better things are an inspiration to others.
“What happens is that scouts have always been coming to our games because Omar Rowe, an ex-Southampton player, was at the club,” said the Hamlets manager.
“He has now moved on to Bishop’s Stortford. O’Neal Rowe is another that has moved on and gone to Barnet as well. With Randell going to Palace too we are losing our players and it is difficult.
“But I am loving every minute of it, and giving the opportunities to the kids as well as the challenges that are coming with the job.
“People don’t see what happens behind closed doors and what we do at Tower Hamlets. Randell and the others, they have been with me since the age of nine and 10, so it is a joy for me personally to see them get these accomplishments.
“It is also a statement to the rest of the team of what can happen to them in time, but obviously not everyone is a Randell Williams.”
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