Non-League and Academy football writer

Kodi Lyons-Foster has been on a real footballing journey, and the 27 year old central defender is a player who I’ve been a fan of for a long time. After joining Spurs’ Academy set-up from local grassroots football, Kodi was a player who would often train with the Spurs Under 21 side, while still a schoolboy footballer at the club. However, he was unfortunately not offered a scholarship by Spurs for the 2013/14 season (he was part of the same Spurs Academy side as Kyle Walker-Peters). He did however, join Aston Villa’s academy set-up on a two year scholarship (he would play alongside the likes of Jack Grealish at Aston Villa). A versatile defender, the Islington born footballer would later play for Bristol City at Under 21 level, and it was with Bristol City that he got his first opportunity to experience non-League football, when he joined Guernsey on a short term loan. The older brother of current Spurs Academy player Brooklyn Lyons-Foster, Kodi would later trial for League of Ireland Premier Division side Derry City, in the summer of 2017, and he would feature for them in two friendly matches, against UCD and Cabinteely, respectively. However, Kodi decided not sign for Derry City in the end, despite them wanting him to join the club.

On his return to England, Lyons-Foster opted to join Aldershot, although he did join Sussex club Whitehawk on a loan, not long after joining Aldershot. Returning to Aldershot following his loan move, Kodi then joined Whitehawk on a free transfer. Quite a tall central defender with good pace and quality on the ball, Lyons-Foster has really good reading of the game and is excellent at making blocks and defensive interventions, and he isn’t afraid to lead by example from defence. After excelling at Whitehawk, Kodi rejoined Aldershot, after a spell with Braintree Town, and the former England youth international would make well over 100 competitive appearances for the National League side. Last season however, he moved out on loan to Maidstone United and later Welling United, and Kodi would depart Aldershot at the end of the 2022/23 season, and during this summer he joined National League South side Tonbridge Angels. After an impressive pre-season, Lyons-Foster started the first 11 of their opening 12 National League South matches. I saw Kodi play fairly recently for Tonbridge Angels, in a league fixture with his former club Welling United. It wasn’t a great team performance from Tonbridge that day, but I thought that Kodi was one of the better players for Tonbridge, on the day.

An intelligent defender, Kodi Lyons-Foster is very assertive in his defending. Unfortunately he has been out injured for a while, after picking up an injury in Tonbridge’s game with Weymouth, in mid October. Hopefully Kodi will hopefully return soon for the National League South side. He is a player who in my opinion is someone who is very capable of playing at a higher level, but for this season, as Tonbridge go on a good run of form in the league of late, his return should help them even more, as they look to progress as a team this season. I wish Kodi all the very best for his recovery, and for the remainder of this season. He is a very good player, who at 27 still has a lot to give to the game.