South Shields seal signing of ex-Grays Athletic teenage defender after successful trial

Wokoma becomes the second player in two days to arrive at Mariners Park, following in the footsteps of former Bury youngster Millenic Alli who penned a deal on Friday afternoon.

A commanding defender, Wokoma makes the move to the North East having previously turned out for Grays Athletic – after breaking into senior semi-professional football at the age of just 15.

And after shining during two trial games earlier this summer, the centre back is keen to push on – having been left impressed by the ambition of his new side.

"I'm very happy to be here,” he said.

"I've come a long way and have heard that the ambition of the club is to go far, so I'm eager to get started.

"Lee and Graham told me they believe in my ability and said that the ambition of the club is to push on through the leagues, so I'm here to work hard and hopefully help them do that."

And joint-manager Lee Picton believes Wokoma could prove to be a key player for Shields.

"Without getting too carried away, he has absolutely enormous potential,” he admitted.

"That's what we've identified with him.

"He has got some raw tools that are really exciting, and our job is to develop and nurture those.

"There are no guarantees with anything and we don't know how things will pan out, but if he is prepared to work hard, he has got a fantastic chance of being an unbelievable centre-back."