Brentford FC midfield player Joe Maloney has signed his first professional contract after his scholarship ended.
Joe came through the Brentford youth ranks and signed a two-year scholarship in the summer of 2011.
He had two injury hit years and was given an extension to his scholarship to take him to October 2013.
Joe has now signed a professional contract until the end of the 2013/14 season.
He will now be part of the Club’s Development Squad and will be available for the Under-21 Professional Development League programme.
Ose Aibangee, Brentford FC Academy Director, said: “Joe is a player with a lot of potential.
“Unfortunately he suffered some serious injuries during his scholarship and did not play much Youth Team football.
“He has now been fit and able to play and train for a few months thanks to the work of our excellent medical staff and he has impressed us.
“We will now see how he develops over the rest of the season.
“Joe is a technically proficient midfield player and a fine passer of the football.
“He is also a student of the game and is good tactically, he is a good person to have in any dressing room and I congratulate him on his professional contract.”
Joe, 18, played 12 Under-18 Professional Development League Two South games last season and made one appearance in the FA Youth Cup.
He also played three games for the Development Squad last season.
Brentford have also signed Kojo Awotwi on extended schoolboy forms for the 2013/14 season, making him available for the Club’s Youth Team.
Kojo has played in all seven games for the Youth Team in the Under-18 Professional Development League this season, scoring twice.
You can view an exclusive interview with Joe on Bees Player later on Friday afternoon.