Helston Athletic sign Cameron Wheat from Wendron United

Wheat has been a regular fixture in the Blues’ under-18 side, helping them to win the treble last season, but first-team boss Steve Massey has recruited the youngster for his South West Peninsula League side.

Wheat burst onto the senior football scene last season with a string of excellent performances for Wendron as the club finished sixth in SWPL Division 1 West – the club’s highest-ever league finish. Wheat also scored the Dron’s third goal of their 3-1 win over Porthleven in the Cornwall Senior Cup quarter-final to seal the club’s first-ever semi-final appearance.

He also played a key role in Helston under-18s’ glorious treble, with the young Blues lifting the Kernow Youth League Under-18s Premier League, the Premier League Cup and the Cornwall Under-18s Rathbone Cup.

The exciting winger scored 12 goals on his way to claiming Wendron’s top goal scorer and players’ player of the year awards, and did the same for Helston under-18s, scoring 33 times in 22 games to complete a unique ‘double double’ of individual honours.

Wheat will be in familiar surroundings at Kellaway Park, as many of his fellow Helston under-18s have already established themselves in and around Massey’s first team.

Massey has been a long-time admirer of the young winger, and admitted that luring him away from Wendron, where Wheat has been since the age of nine, was a difficult task.

“To be perfectly honest I thought he might not,” Massey said. “I wanted to get him over the line but he’s been with Wendron since he was an eight or nine-year-old, and it is a big wrench to leave.

“He wanted to come, without a doubt, but I think one of the big factors was the repercussions of him leaving, I think it was harder for him to leave.”

Wheat eventually decided to join the Blues on a senior basis on Thursday evening, and Massey did not hide his pleasure at finally getting the deal over the line.

“I am absolutely thrilled to bits, I really am. I think he’s a real special talent," he said. “I think he’s had a great season and I hope he’s going to get better and better in the seasons to come with us.”

“He’s probably one of, even at the highest level in the game, the best headers of the ball, he hangs and heads the ball so, so well, for a winger.

“Usually wingers are worried about the hairstyle but Cam heads it and he hangs and jumps in the air as well as anybody else I’ve seen.”

Wheat in action during Wendron's Cornwall Senior Cup semi-final defeat to Saltash United

Helston have also completed the signing of Mousehole goalkeeper Jason Robertson.

Robertson, who began last season in goal for Porthleven before moving to the Seagulls, has opted to re-join the club that he left in 2017.

“I spoke to him and he was really enthusiastic and keen,” Massey said. “He’s a great addition, he’ll bring us a lot of experience and he’s well respected here at the club and I’m looking forward to working with him”.

Robertson’s arrival at Kellaway Park has seen Barrie Wyatt – who replaced Robertson as first-choice for the Blues two years ago – leave the club, with Massey recognising his desire for first-team football.

“There’s no way that I wanted Barrie to leave the club. I wanted competition, but Barrie has decided that he wants first-team football so we have wished him all the best,” Massey said. “He’s done me really proud in the last two seasons he’s been with us.”

The arrival of Wheat and Robertson has seen the number of Helston’s summer signings rise to six, following the additions of Liam Eddy, Mark Goldsworthy, Neil Slateford and Olly Brokenshire from St Austell.

Massey also confirmed that former first-team assistant manager Richard Full has been appointed as the third-team manager for their 2019/20 Combination League campaign.

The third team had been without a manager as last season’s management duo of Barry Hennesy and Darren Walker have stepped up to manage the reserves in the St Piran League, following the departure of previous second-team boss Graham Blake to Porthleven.