The Club is delighted to announce that Under-18s quartet Aaron Loupalo-Bi, Callum Osmand, Damon Park and Tom Olyott have all signed their first professional contracts.
Aaron Loupalo-Bi
The 17-year-old striker scored 18 league goals last season, with arguably his neatest finish being produced against Chelsea during a 5-2 win at Motspur Park.
On his delight after signing on, Aaron said: "For me I wanted to continue my journey here because it’s my boyhood club and I’ve been here since Pre-Academy, so it feels like home to me. I’m delighted to sign my first professional deal at the Club and it’s a dream come true to achieve this.
"I hope to continue playing well and carry on scoring goals to help the team. I also want to try and push on with the Under-21s throughout the season."
Callum Osmand
Callum played a key role for Ali Melloul's side last season and managed to net nine goals in 18 appearances across all competitions. He made himself the hero in our FA Youth Cup clash against Rochdale, scoring in the 89th minute to help our youngsters to a dramatic 4-3 win.
"It’s been a dream of mine to become a professional since I was young and this is another huge step in my journey. I’m very pleased to sign a professional contract at this club.
"Overall I had a good and enjoyable season. It was a tough start for me but I kept working hard and the opportunities came and I had a positive end, contributing with goals and assists."
Damon Park
After making the switch down to the capital following his move from Oldham Athletic, Damon made 11 appearances for our Under-18s across the 2022/23 season. The physical centre-back will be looking to cement himself within the starting lineup for the next campaign.
"I'm absolutely buzzing," admitted Damon. "This is something I’ve always dreamed of since being a kid and it’s exciting to begin this stage of my football journey. I’m looking forward to developing further.
"Last season was a strong one for us as a group. We’ve had a lot of time to bond and get to know each other as individuals which will help us a lot going into this new season as we’re hopefully pushing to win the league."
Despite spending less time at the Club, Damon has been made to feel at home already.
"Since being on trial I’ve felt welcome at this Club which was one of the main reasons I joined. My development over the past year as a player has been massive which is a credit to all the staff here and it was an easy decision for me to sign on. I’m fully settled now and just can’t wait to push on this season."
Tom Olyott
Since joining Fulham before the start of last season from Manchester City, Tom went on to feature 16 times and scored five goals in the process. After injury slowed his progress early on, the winger played more of a part as the campaign went on and will be one to watch next season.
"Signing my first professional contract is a huge achievement for me and my family," Tom said. "It is something I’ve worked towards my whole life and it’s nice to be rewarded for all the hard work I’ve put in from the start of my journey.
"Continuing here was an easy choice for me. Fulham is a great club known for developing young players and giving opportunities and so my aim is to push on as much as I can and hopefully take the next step."
On his targets this season, he added: "This season I would like to establish myself as a consistent goal contributer. We want to push for the league and I also want to go further in the FA Youth Cup this year and show everyone the player I am and the team we are."
"Aaron had an outstanding first year in our scholarship programme, both individually and as a member of the team," said Academy Director Sean Cullen. "Winning the Under-18 PL Golden Boot was a fantastic achievement that we are all very proud of. The good news for Aaron is that he has more areas of his game to develop, and if he can rise to that challenge and build on his existing skill set, he has every chance to build on his excellent first season.
"Callum is an exciting, hardworking forward. He grew into last season and we began to see his best qualities more frequently during the second half of the campaign. Callum has enjoyed international honours throughout the age groups with Wales, which has also positively supported his development.
"Moving away from home and into a Category 1 Academy will always come with its challenges, however Damon demonstrated an outstanding attitude throughout the transition which helped support his development. Damon’s strengths are his physical presence and determination, however he has also made big improvements in his abilities on the ball. We look forward to continuing to see him develop into a well-rounded centre-back.
"Tom is another player who joined us late in the pathway, but he has transitioned into the group very well. A tricky wide player who is technically very good; Tom has the ability to operate between the lines to create opportunities for himself and others."
