Scottish youth international Alistair Coote has joined Brentford B from Dundee United for an undisclosed fee, subject to international clearance. The 19-year-old – known as Ali – signed a three-year contract today, Thursday 22 June, after passing a medical.
The teenage attacking midfield player, who was born in England but has spent most of his life in Scotland, will link up with his Brentford B team mates when pre-season training begins tomorrow. Ali is the second Scottish player to make the journey south in recent months after Theo Archibald joined from Celtic.Ali came through the youth ranks at Dundee United, progressing from their academy to their first team squad. He signed professional forms just after his 16th birthday and made his debut before he turned 17, playing against Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership. He spent time on loan at East Fife during the 2015/16 campaign, where he scored his first professional goals, and played 16 times for Dundee United in all competitions last term. He scored twice towards the end of the campaign and helped them reach the Scottish Championship Play-Offs, where they were beaten by Hamilton Academical, and also featured in the Scottish Challenge Cup win for the Tannadice side.Ali has been playing for Scotland’s youth teams from the age of 13. He has been involved at Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 level. He helped Scotland reach the 2015 European Under-17 Championships but did not play in the finals due to First Team commitments. In total, Ali has played 18 times for his country and scored twice.Robert Rowan, Brentford FC Head of Football Operations, said: “Ali is a player we’ve tracked for quite some time up in Scotland and, like Theo, he’s a player I’ve known from previous roles. He’s an attacking player who’s probably best played as a number ten but can play on the left side. He’s an intelligent player with a good level of technical skills whom I’m confident will fit into our group of players. “I think it’s important that Ali makes the most of his time at the Training Ground and uses the resources provided to him by the technical staff to accelerate his development. I had a good chat with Ali and his Dad on Tuesday and I think everyone agrees that his first objective is to break into the Starting XI with Brentford B and then get some recognition at international level. Ali will report tomorrow for the first day of pre-season training where he and his team mates will undergo some intense conditioning in preparation for an exciting year ahead.”