4 exciting Bristol City starlets that could make the club serious money | OneFootball

We take a look at some of the talented youngsters at Ashton Gate who could make the club money in the future

Highlights

Bristol City have developed a reputation in recent seasons as a club willing to give youngsters a chance and it's a policy that has paid off for them.

You only have to look at players like Tommy Conway, Sam Bell, Max O'Leary, Zach Vyner and Cameron Pring to see what sort of impact former academy players have made in BS3, and the club have also made some serious money off players who have previously come through the ranks at Ashton Gate.

The likes of Alex Scott and Antoine Semenyo are examples, starting off in the club's academy before making it into the first team and attracting interest from bigger clubs thanks to their performances.

The pair joined Bournemouth last year for a combined fee worth a reported £35million and it was a glowing indication of how good the side from Ashton Gate are at developing talented players.

Given their recent success in developing and nurturing young players, here are the next four Bristol City starlets who could make the club money in the future.

Jamie Knight-Lebel

Canadian youth international centre-back Jamie Knight-Lebel is highly-rated at Ashton Gate and made his debut as an 18-year-old in the Severnside Derby away to Cardiff City last season.

He made two further appearances for the Robins first-team last season, one in the league and one in an FA Cup fixture against Nottingham Forest, and he'll spend the 2024/25 season on loan at Crewe Alexandra in a bid to gain some senior experience, and will hopefully return to Ashton Gate next summer as a better, more rounded player.

It speaks volumes that the Robins were willing to play Knight-Lebel in a league fixture as an 18-year-old, particularly in a position as important as centre-back, and particularly in a game of the Severnside derby's magnitude, but Bristol City have had no qualms over giving young players a chance in recent seasons.

A loan in the EFL will stand Knight-Lebel in good stead for the future, and he'll be looking to stake a claim for a place in Liam Manning's squad this time next year if it all goes to plan.

Josh Stokes

Attacking midfielder Josh Stokes joined the Robins from Aldershot Town in January 2024 and was immediately loaned back to the side from Hampshire, but he's linked up with Manning's side this summer.

The 20-year-old enjoyed a very successful 2023/24 campaign at National League level, and he scored 18 goals and registered three assists in all competitions, making it easy to see why Bristol City have signed him.

This is Stokes' first season at Championship level, and it may take him a period of time to adjust, understandably, but the numbers he registered in the National League last season show that he's a player with plenty of potential, and he could become a huge asset to the Robins in the years to come.

Stokes wouldn't have been brought to Ashton Gate unless he was a player that could be developed and sold on for money in the years to come, and he's a player that the Robins' faithful should be keeping a keen eye on in years to come.

Ephraim Yeboah

One of the big reasons why Bristol City have had so much success in developing young players is because of how they've used the loan market. Their young talents will typically have spent time away from the club on loan before being given first-team chances.

That's exactly the case with Ephraim Yeboah and the young striker recently completed a season-long loan move to League Two side Doncaster Rovers.

Yeboah was picked up by the Robins in 2021, and he's made 12 first-team appearances for the club, with ten of them coming in the Championship last season, showing how highly-rated he is at Ashton Gate.

The 18-year-old also spent time on loan at National League South side Bath City last season, as the vast majority of the club's young talent do, scoring twice in ten games for the side from Somerset.

Given the fact that Yeboah has only recently turned 18, a season-long loan spell in League Two at this stage speaks volumes about how high Bristol City think his ceiling is, and it would be a surprise if he wasn't to become a star in the future.

Seb Palmer-Houlden

20-year-old striker Seb Palmer-Houlden is onto his fourth loan spell away from Ashton Gate, this time joining Scottish Premiership outfit Dundee.

The youngster spent time with non-league outfits Chippenham Town and Yeovil Town, before joining League Two side Newport County last season, where he impressed, scoring nine times in 42 appearances for the Exiles.

A move to Dundee will allow Palmer-Houlden to test himself against top-flight opponents and big clubs like Rangers and Celtic, and if his start is anything to go by, then he could be a revelation north of the border.

He scored three times in three Scottish League Cup appearances, before opening his account in the Scottish Premiership with a goal in a 2-2 draw against bitter rivals Dundee United.

If he continues to perform like that in Scotland, there's no reason why he can't become a future star at Ashton Gate, and he could be yet another Robins youth product who makes the club big money.