Colin Thompson for the Royal Gazette...
'Kalen Brunson is the latest Bermudian to join forces with Queens Park Rangers.
The PHC winger was signed by the Sky Bet Championship outfit last month after impressing the coaching
staff during a trial and is making steady progress playing with their under-21 team.
Brunson, 15, joins QPR from the Beechwood Schools Elite Football Programme, run by Academia & Football,
where his potential shone through.
Former Arsenal and QPR defender Matthew Rose, who is cofounder and director of coaching and recruitment at
Academia & Football, is delighted to see the player making good progress towards his ambition of playing professional
football.
“Kalen is doing very well and progressing through the ranks to under-21 football. It was very clear he had ability,”
Rose told The Royal Gazette.
“It was just a case of giving him a platform to show this and helping him improve elements of his game to be able
to take that next step.”
Brunson is following in the footsteps of Dashun Cooper, who is a goalkeeper coach with QPR’s academy, and
Bristol City striker Nahki Wells, who had two loan spells with the West London club.
He is also one of two Bermudians to have recently joined professional clubs from the Beechwood Schools Elite
Football Programme as Nayan Grant was signed by League Two side Gillingham this month.
Rose, who also earned two caps with England Under-21, is equally as pleased to see defender Grant making good
progress at Gillingham’s academy.