To celebrate Black History Month we’ll be looking each day at the career of past and present Bristol City players, with today's focus on another Bermudan striker in the form of Nahki Wells.
Wells grew up in Bermuda’s Capital, Hamilton, and represented the Dandy Town Hornets from the age of 12.
During his teenage years, Wells underwent a successful trial with Dutch side Ajax but ultimately turned down the offer.
He played two seasons of senior football in his home country before moving to the Richmond International Academic and Soccer Academy in Leeds, where he graduated while sporting the colours of local non-League side Eccleshill United.
Wells began his life as a professional with a deal at Carlisle United. He made his League One debut against Bristol Rovers in January 2011 as the Blues romped to a 4-0 victory in Cumbria.
The striker featured three times for United that season before making the switch to Bradford City ahead of the 2011/12 season, and it was at Valley Parade where Wells would see his career take off.
He would net 12 goals for the League Two outfit in his first season in West Yorkshire before being the Club’s leading marksman in consecutive seasons, guiding them to League One with four goals in two play-off games in the process.
In January 2014, the Bermuda international joined Huddersfield Town for a club-record fee before scoring a stoppage-time winner against Millwall less than 24 hours later.
He again achieved the top spot in his Club’s scoring charts in back-to-back campaigns, scoring 14 and 18 goals in his first two full seasons with the Terriers.
The following year, Wells kept a cool head to slot home a crucial Wembley spot kick as Huddersfield Town beat Reading on penalties to achieve promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history.
A £5m switch to top-flight Burnley followed, but nine appearances without a goal saw Wells return to the Championship on loan to Queens Park Rangers.
It took the striker until October to find the net for the R’s, but he soon rediscovered his form and ended the season with 13 goals and another top scorer award.
To nobody’s surprise, Wells hit the ground running the following year and yet again found himself at the top of the season scoring charts, despite making the switch to Ashton Gate for an undisclosed fee from parent club Burnley in January.
Wells made his debut for Bristol City the following day, stepping off the bench in a 1-0 win over the side he had departed less than 24 hours earlier.
He opened his Robins account two weeks later in a thrilling 3-2 victory over Derby County in BS3.
It’s now 25 goals and counting in red and white for Wells and this season looks set to be another successful one, with six goals and four assists to his name in the first 12 games of the campaign.
