Tevahn Tyrell and David Jones Jr have both signed new one-year deals with English non-League side Ilkeston.

Both Bermudian players forced their way into the Evo-Stik League Northern Premier side’s first team this season after impressing for their academy and under-21 teams.

Tyrell, who was a regular for Robin Hood in the Premier Division last season, scored a superb goal on his home debut for Ilkeston against Rushall Olympic in last weekend’s 4-1 win.

The striker said he hoped the contract was another stepping stone to realising his ambition of playing in the Football League.

“Signing a pro contract is a big accomplishment in my life and I have to thank everybody who’s ever helped me on my way towards this,” said the teenager.

“My friends and family back in Bermuda see this as the first step of me becoming the another Nahki Wells or Shaun Goater and I’m just trying to do my best because the sky’s the limit.

“I’m really thankful to the club for having faith in me and see that I can move forward to become a better player.

“I just need to put my head down and work hard, being a pro footballer is what I’ve been dreaming of and this is the first step in the right direction.”

Jones, a left-sided midfielder, has been at Ilkeston for several years, previously playing for the Mansfield Town Academy and Newcastle Town, a non-League team in Stoke.

He made his Ilkeston first-team debut as a 79th-minute substitute in the Derbyshire Senior Cup tie at home to Long Eaton United in December last year.

Jones scored his first goal for Ilkeston in the Integro Doodson League Cup tie away to Scarborough Athletic last month.

“I’ve been working so hard since I came to England and to finally get that chance felt so good,” Jones said.

“[My first goal] really eased the pressure I put on myself, I kept thinking that I need to score, I need to score and I was kind of getting stressed about it, thinking that I have to prove myself to the manager and the fans, so when I got the goal at Scarborough, it was a big relief.

“I’m going back to Bermuda for the summer and it’s nice to be able to relax on the beach, knowing that I have next season sorted out.

“I can’t relax too much though, myself and Tevahn have to be back in training after a couple of weeks, we have an Under-20 World Cup Qualifying group to play, hopefully we’ll make the squad for that.”

Fellow Bermudians Jahquil Hill, a goalkeeper, and midfielder J’Nai Butterfield-Steede also featured for Ilkeston’s under-21 and academy teams this season.

Another Bermudian player impressing at the club is midfielder Paul Douglas who joined them several months ago.

All of the players live together in an apartment partially funded by Paul Scope, the former Bermuda assistant coach and Bermuda Hogges owner, who forged a link between the island and Ilkeston a couple of years ago.

Jones added: “I knew Jahquil Hill when we were both at Mansfield Town, so I’d heard about the links that Ilkeston had with Bermuda and when I was looking as to what my next move would be,

“It feels like a family here, usually when you go to a new club you’re the only Bermudian there and it can sometimes be hard to get integrated with the team, but here it was so easy.”