Former Premier League wonderkid who snubbed 10-year Barcelona deal drops into non-league with 16th club of his career

A FORMER wonderkid that was offered a TEN-YEAR contract with Barcelona is now a non-league player – again.

Ex-England youth ace John Bostock, 32, joined National League side Solihull Moors in what will be the 16th club of his 17-year career.

Bostock was released by League Two side Notts County at the end of last season.

He made 66 appearances in two seasons at Meadow Lane and helped the Magpies to promotion from the National League in 2023.

On joining Solihull, Bostock said: “The club have come quite far very quickly and last year they came so close to taking the next step.”

The midfielder first came to prominence aged just 14 at boyhood club Crystal Palace as he often played above his age group.

That is when he came to the attention of Barcelona, who got in touch with Bostock.

The LaLiga giants had so much faith in Bostock that they famously wanted him to pen a deal with them for a DECADE.

However, he snubbed what would have been a sensational switch to the Nou Camp, after his parents allegedly wanted him to continue his development in London.

Eventually, the man dubbed the ‘next big thing’ eventually departed Palace for Tottenham in a dramatic move that saw the two clubs going to a tribunal to decide the transfer fee in 2008.

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But Bostock never managed to play in the Premier League and ended up out on loan at Brentford, Hull, Sheffield Wednesday, Swindon and Toronto until his permanent exit in 2013.

The well-travelled midfielder has also had spells at Royal Antwerp, Leuven, Lens, Bursaspor and Toulouse, who then loaned him to Nottingham Forest in the 2019/20 campaign.

He failed to secure a long-term deal at the City Ground, but the versatile ace returned to England to sign for Doncaster in 2021.

But Bostock left in June following the club’s relegation from League One.

He had to wait for his 15th club – but he landed an 18-month deal at Notts County in December 2022.

Bostock scored at Wembley the following May as the Magpies eventually beat Chesterfield on penalties to secure promotion from the National League.

But he was memorably left embarrassed in the shootout after miserably failing a botched Paneka attempt.