Paul McCallum

January 18, 201115 yr

From Sky:

Chelsea are leading the chase to sign Dulwich Hamlet striker Paul McCallum.
No less than 14 clubs have expressed an interest in the 18-year-old, who only made his first-team debut for the Ryman League Division One South side in October.

McCallum, who hails from Streatham, is set to play in a trial game for West Ham as the Hamlet honour an agreement with the Premier League strugglers.

But a host of other top sides, only two of which are outside the Premier League or SPL, have made an enquiry regarding McCallum, who hit a hat-trick in Dulwich's 3-0 win over Sittingbourne on Saturday.

With so much interest in the youngster, manager Gavin Rose must now help McCallum weigh up his options.

"What we're trying to ascertain is which are serious about taking the lad on," Rose told the South London Press.

"Viewing 14 clubs just isn't viable and as a contracted player, he shouldn't need to do that. Someone has got to seize the opportunity to take him.

"They are all massive clubs but some of them are more proactive about wanting to come and see him while others want him in their own environment.

"The best thing that can happen is that someone signs him and puts him and us out of our misery!

"Paul is quite a late developer - especially at a competitive level.

"He's played a lot of Sunday football for a men's team but he did that for fun. The competitive side has only really kicked in at the back end of last season when he joined us.

"He's taking all this in his stride. He sees it as an adventure, and that's refreshing. He never thought he was going to get this sort of interest and he is riding with it rather than turning it into a massive issue."

Former Dulwich players to have stepped up into the professional game include George Elokobi, Simeon Jackson, Marlon King and Leon Cort.