ALBION have told heartbroken Bognor teenager David Birmingham: You'll still get your chance to impress us.

The 17-year-old midfielder suffered a broken leg and cracked knee bone on his Bognor debut as they thrashed Ryman title rivals Braintree 4-0 last Saturday.

He will be sidelined for six months and miss the Division One promotion run-in, as well as a trial with Albion reserves and youth team.

The injury, sustained just before half-time, caps a bad few weeks for the talented teenager, who was released by Bournemouth recently.

He was due to play for Seagulls in the South East Counties League on Saturday until receiving a late call-up from Bognor, where his elder brother Michael is skipper.

David said: "I remember the ball bobbling up in front of me, I knocked it over their player's head and he just kept coming through. He caught me above the knee.

"After that all I remember is slipping in and out of conciousness. I was really down, but I'm picking myself up now and I've got lots of friends and family around me."

David comes out of Midhurst hospital on Monday, starts re-habilitation work in two weeks time and aims to be back for pre-season.

Albion youth coach Dean Wilkins watched the game at Nyewood Lane and was on the phone the next morning to reassure the potential new signing.

Wilkins said: "It was a terrible shame. I suppose he feels like his world has fallen apart but I just wanted to tell him we would invite him back when he was fit.

"He was coming to the end of his YTS at Bournemouth so if we were to sign him it would have to be as a pro.

"We need to be sure he would be good enough and physically fit."

Bognor (probable): Matthews, Hinshelwood, Young, Pickering, Rutherford, Birmingham, Howell, Thomas, Blake, Miles, Carey. Subs to be named.

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