Eastleigh Football Club are delighted to announce that Seung-woo Yang and Lyle Simpson have signed their first professional contracts at the club.

The pair, who have been a part of the successful league-winning campaign with the Elite Development Squad (EDS), have both enjoyed minutes amongst the first team in the 2021/22 season.

They have both committed their futures to the Spitfires as the latest Academy graduates to do so, joining centre-back Brendan Willson who penned his first pro deal earlier in the season.

Seung-woo Yang is a midfielder who only joined the EDS this campaign after leaving a scholarship at Forest Green Rovers – prior to that, he began his youth career with Southampton. ‘Seuny’ made his professional debut for the Spitfires as an 86th minute substitute against Bromley in the Vanarama National League.

Lyle Simpson has been with the Eastleigh for four years, joining in the U16s and progressing through the Scholarship programme into the EDS. A clinical finisher, Simpson has enjoyed a successful goalscoring season for the young Spitfires – he made his professional debut in the FA Trophy against Notts County, before making three Vanarama National League appearances and registering a game-winning assist against Woking.

Eastleigh manager, Lee Bradbury, shared his belief in the young prospects:

“The talent we have coming through the youth set up here is fantastic and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring Lyle and Seuny onto first team contracts.

“They’ve really impressed me since I have been here with their attitude and ability, and they’ve not looked out of place at all when they’ve earned their chances to get minutes on the pitch with the first team.

“Seuny has a good footballing upbringing and he’s a talented boy with real quality on the ball. He’s played over 70 games this season and you have to be a great athlete to do that as well, he’s got a great attitude and deserves his opportunity.

“With Lyle, everyone in the Academy knows he’s a goalscorer. He’s got bags of energy and that willingness to win which really impressed me, as well as his natural finishing ability.

“We’ve also seen with his contribution against Woking that he has grown that level of maturity and composure as well which is a great sign, and I hope he continues to showcase that here as a first team professional.”