Calaum Jahraldo-Martin is another example of the many success stories of the PASE academy, having gone on to play for Hull City, Oldham Athletic and Newport County.
The striker-come-defender joined the PASE academy following a successful trial at the club, and worked his way through the scheme before making his first team debut for the Wood.
Jahraldo-Martin was recommended for trial by Luke Garrard and explained how the PASE academy is unlike any other.
The defender said: “I was at a trial game at FootballCV and it was actually Luke Garrard that recommended I then went for a trial in the PASE scheme. He explained to me that if I was good enough and worked hard enough then I could go on to play in the first team.
“I got on with all the lads well and I already knew some of them there, it was such a great setup and it allowed me to get an education as well as playing good football.
“I completed a course in Personal Training while at the club, and it meant that I had something else under belt in case football didn’t work out for me.
“PASE gives you the structure of what a professional football club is like on a day-to-day basis and other academies aren’t like that.”
The youngster joined the academy following his trial and never looked back, making his first team debut for the Wood, before later signing for Hull City.
The 24-year-old spoke of how the academy prepared him for life in the professional game, giving him the grounding to go on and enjoy a successful career.
“It had a great impact on my career, I learnt a lot from Luke and the other staff that were there. We were training every day and getting an education.
“Luke has had a huge influence on where I am now, he taught me a lot about my game and helped in my development. I appreciate everything that both him and the club have done for me.”
Following a brief spell with Dulwich Hamlet, Jahraldo-Martin was offered a trial by Hull City and he admitted that at first, he didn’t think it was true.
“I heard of the interest from Hull City, but there are always club’s coming to watch you, so you can’t always listen to what you hear,” Jahraldo-Martin commented.
“But then one day I was told that I was actually going to Hull City on trial, and I went up there for about two weeks.
“They said that they wanted to sign me straight away and it was during a time when they had been promoted to the Premier League.
“You see these people on TV and then all of a sudden you are training with them every day, it was a massive step, but I felt that I was comfortable enough to be playing with them.”
The 24-year-old admits that he originally found it tough to settle in East Yorkshire, but it is a testament to the young defender that he persevered and later made appearances for the first team.
He continued: “It was difficult at first because I was away from my family and it is kind of in the middle of nowhere, but eventually you get used to it.
“You know that you are there for a reason and that you are blessed, so, you get on with it and deal with it.
“Steve Bruce gave me my debut and he was always telling me what to work on and having a joke with me here and there in training.
“He was a really good character and I am grateful to him because he gave me my debut, which is rare.”
Jahraldo-Martin has since signed for Newport County in League Two, joining the club at the start of August.
Having begun his career as a striker, the attacking full-back says that he now models his game on Ashley Cole and hopes to become a regular into the Newport first team this campaign.
“I had been on trial there and the manager really liked me,” Jahraldo-Martin continued. “I am playing in an attacking left-back role now, which they can see me playing in, in the near future, so I am excited and I am raring to go.
“My aim is to at least try and do as well as I did last season and then aim for even higher, but I just want to have a successful season and to get as many games as I can under my belt.
“I see myself as an attacking left-back, who is always looking to get forward. But I also recognise that my duties first and foremost are to defend the goal, but I will try and get forward as often as I can and put balls into the box and create opportunities for the strikers.”
Sign up for your trial in the PASE academy, for your chance to become the next success story!
Apply here: https://www.borehamwoodfootballclub.co.uk/how-to-apply-pase/
