A young Buxton footballer has signed his first professional contract at Chesterfield FC – on the day he turned 17.

In a double celebration, Gunner Elliott turned 17 on Friday and he celebrated his birthday in style by putting pen to paper on his first senior deal. He will be training with the Spireites’ first-team this season and has featured in pre-season friendlies this summer.

Elliott, who scored 14 goals last season for the academy, became Chesterfield’s second-youngest player in history when he made his senior debut as a substitute against Fleetwood Town on Boxing Day.

The striker, who was spotted playing in a schools competition in Buxton, is a Malta youth international and he has trained with the senior squad.

The club see Elliott as one for the future and they want to develop him further by testing him against their own seniors on a daily basis. The EFL Trophy could be the perfect opportunity to give some first-team experience this season.

Town returned to a more traditional academy model this season after returning to the EFL and they will be hoping that they reap the rewards of that in the coming years.