A FORMER Southend United and Canvey Island youth prospect has signed his first professional contract at League Two giants Blackpool.

Jack Sims, 17, signed with the Tangerines earlier this week, after he was snapped up by Blues after coming through Canvey’s youth system.

And he said rejection at Southend spurred him onto new heights, while praising the impact Canvey had on his development.

“I loved my time at Canvey, everything was run really well and we played in loads of tournaments,” said Canvey-based Sims.

“It was when I first started playing football and it was with the club that I really started to enjoy playing and winning trophies.

“At the time I was gutted it didn’t work out with Southend because it meant I was without a club and uncertain about my future.

“It also meant that I was going to have to leave home because they were the only team that were close enough for me to stay put.

“But it definitely made me more determined and I think it was because I tasted the feeling of rejection and knew that I didn’t want to feel like that again.”

Sims is now targetting 100 first-team appearances by the time he is 21, having made the decision to head north.

And he is aiming high as he looks to make the most of the opportunity.

“Of course it was a hard decision as this meant that I was going to leave home and friends and family which was always going to be hard,” he said. “But it was a no brainer because I knew it was a sacrifice I had to make to get to where I want to be, and also I knew that it was an opportunity that I couldn’t miss out on.

“My next ambitions are to make my debut, which is a short term goal and something I want to get under my belt as soon as possible.

“After that my two main ambitions over the next couple of years are to represent my country at youth level and to make 100 senior appearances by the age of 21, which while a big ask is something I want to achieve.”