TONY Lee has become the first home-grown youngster to sign a professional contract with Eastleigh in almost ten years.
Lee has followed in the footsteps of ex-Saint Aaron Martin and former Hull City player Will Aimson by graduating from the Stoneham Lane academy to the first-team.
The 19-year-old striker, who has been at the Silverlake Stadium since under-15 level, has made fleeting appearances for the first-team in the past and has been selected on the Spitfires bench on numerous occasions.
However, Lee, who was leading scorer in the Football Conference Youth Alliance last term, has now been snapped up permanently by the Vanarama National League side after impressing in the academy ranks and out on loan.
The Southampton-born player has been sensational while on loan at AFC Totton and Dorchester Town in the Southern League ranks.
He scored six goals in just three games for the Stags and netted four goals in ten minutes for Eastleigh's Under-21s recently.
That form saw Lee selected for Tuesday night's 2-1 victory at Dover Athletic and he has now put pen-to-paper on a contract that will see him compete for a place in Chris Todd's team.
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