Former Bristol City academy prospect Jacob Maddox has signed a deal to join League Two side Walsall after leaving Portugal.
Born in Bristol, the midfielder was considered one of the brightest talents to come through the Robins academy before earning a move to Chelsea at the age of just 14.
The Premier League giants agreed a four-year deal with Maddox after featuring for the Under-18s with City pocketing a compensation fee for his services. During his time with Chelsea, he represented England's youth sides at all levels including playing alongside Mason Mount and Jay Dasilva in their Under-19 European Championship success in 2017.
Maddox's career failed to hit the heights that his early potential showed, moving to Cheltenham on loan during the 2018-19 campaign where he scored four times in 44 appearances. A loan switch to Tranmere followed where he failed to play a league game before joining Southampton.
His temporary switch with the Saints included the option to buy at the end of the season having joined their Under-23s but he failed to earn a permanent deal. In the summer of 2020, he ended his seven-year spell with Chelsea by heading across Europe to Vitoria de Guimaraes.
Just three Primeira Liga games would follow before agreeing on a loan move to Burton last season where he featured 16 times in League One.
After leaving City, Academy Director Brian Tinnion spoke in 2018 about Maddox's move to Chelsea where he made a relevant statement on City's pathway that still stands today.
He said: "We lost Jacob Maddox at 14 and I don't think we got as much compensation as we would have liked.
"But that hasn't happened again in the last five or six years, if we can put that pathway to the young players and go down the stadium, see our success. They won't be in a rush to leave Bristol."
Speaking of his move to Walsall, the Express and Star report: "I am delighted to be here. It is a great opportunity for me to help the team. I like the club, the ground and the manager.
“I am coming here to play as many games as I can and help the team the best I can. I would like to say that I am comfortable on the ball. I will take it on in any area and I want to get others involved in my play."
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