Saints have handed teenage starlet Mark Peters the perfect 17th birthday present - a professional contract.

The prolific young striker from Frimley has scored 17 goals in just six games for the Under-17 side this season including three hat-tricks.

It could have been even more but he has missed a penalty in each of the last two matches but he is still by far the leading scorer in the FA Premier Under 17 league.

He joined the club's Academy in June but signed professional terms yesterday, his 17th birthday, as a reward for his goal-scoring exploits.

Malcolm Elias, the club's head of recruitment, explained: "Boys are not allowed to sign professional forms until they are 17 so this was the earliest he could have put pen to paper.

"It covers what was left of his scholarship and it is a reward for what he has done which has been absolutely phenomenal.

"Mark is aware that he still has a lot to learn but it is not a bad start to score goals at the rate he has."

Under-17's coach Steve Head added: "We have scored 23 goals this season and Mark has got 17 of them. He is an exceptionally talented marksman with a great eye for goal.

"I have known him since he was 12 or 13 and I always knew he would be a good player. He is good off both feet and possesses tremendous power.

"Sometimes in training he is an awesome sight as he puts the ball away. He does have some finer touches but a lot of it is raw power."

With such a hot prospect on their hands there is inevitably excited talk among fans of a new Michael Owen or Alan Shearer.

But the player and the club are determined to play that down and not to push him too far too soon.

Head added: "It is far too early to start talking like that. I have seen players with more ability fail to make it and others with less who make a career in the game.

"It is a fine line to draw between maximising his potential and pushing him too quickly. Mark is a boy who thrives on confidence and the last thing we want is for him to lose that.

"We could put him in the Under-19's or the Reserves and he could have lumps kicked out of him. That is the next logical step and from there hopefully on to the first-team but timing is crucial.

"But Glenn Hoddle has shown an interest in his development and is well aware of his potential."

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