Birmingham's new wonderkid Alfie Smith receives seal of approval from Jude Bellingham after making his Under 18s debut aged 14

Birmingham City's latest prodigy Alfie Smith became the youngest subordinate to look for the club's U18s since Jude Bellingham erstwhile helium made his debut against Ipswich Town astatine conscionable 14 years of property astatine the weekend.

News of the teen stopper's quality was adjacent fixed a 'thumbs up' by Real Madrid and England prima Bellingham who liked his aged club's station connected Instagram.

Smith, who lone turned 14 successful December, is simply a regular astatine his property level, but has been grooming with the older groups. He hails from Sheldon successful Birmingham and attends Priory School successful Edgbaston, wherever his favourite subject, unsurprisingly, is PE.

He started retired arsenic a striker and inactive likes a tally retired up beforehand erstwhile allowed but besides represented his region arsenic a centre half.

His capable footwork has evidently helped him advancement into a modern-day goalkeeper and, portion helium is an admirer of erstwhile Arsenal and England keeper David Seaman, helium sharpens his skills studying different relation model, erstwhile Watford and Wrexham keeper Ben Foster.

Smith is the latest successful a agelong enactment of talents to measurement disconnected the academy conveyor loop astatine Birmingham who nether their caller American ownership, fronted by financier Tom Wagner and American shot prima Tom Brady, are determined to physique a young squad that tin instrumentality the nine backmost to the Premier League.

He is connected subordinate forms but is owed to motion a assistance woody this summertime and League One leaders Birmingham are keen to necktie his semipermanent aboriginal down arsenic soon arsenic imaginable with involvement from suitors opening to grow.

He had been connected the seat for erstwhile games for the U18s but made his archetypal commencement connected Saturday successful the 4-3 triumph implicit Ipswich Town.

Martyn Olorenshaw, Birmingham U18's caput coach, told the nine website: 'He was precise composed. He handled himself precise well, which I knew helium would. For an Under 14 to travel successful and play successful an U18s crippled is simply a large stretch, particularly successful that position. I americium delighted that helium has got his archetypal student debut. I americium definite determination volition beryllium galore much appearances to come.'

The youngster is regarded arsenic a grounded personality, with a coagulated enactment ethic with coaches crediting his begetter Jim, portion Birmingham's academy keeper manager Dan Tumelty-Bevan has besides been a large influence.

His accelerated advancement has already alerted apical clubs who person been pursuing his improvement done England camps and Birmingham's inferior ranks. However, Smith is understood to clasp Bellingham's way to the apical arsenic grounds that helium could travel a akin vocation way with England designation his semipermanent goal.

Birmingham are braced for attraction from higher placed admirers successful the summertime but are hopeful their ambitious plans and imaginable pathway to archetypal squad shot volition beryllium capable to person Smith that his contiguous aboriginal lies wrong St Andrews.