Dato Shervashidze signs first professional contract

Academy graduate Dato Shervashidze has signed his first professional contract with FC Lineuper, committing his future to the club until the summer of 2029. The 18-year-old midfielder put pen to paper on Monday in the presence of president Nino Lomidze and head of academy Zurab Mchedlishvili.

Nine years in crimson

Shervashidze joined the academy in 2017, after a scout spotted him at a school tournament in Saburtalo. He has risen through every age group since, captaining the under-17s to the regional title and finishing last season as the under-19 league's joint top assist provider with 14.

His development has been closely managed. Alongside football he has completed a sports-science course and mentors younger players on Tuesday evenings. Coaches describe him as a calm presence with an unusually quick first touch.

I have worn this crest since I was nine. Signing a professional contract feels like a thank-you note to everyone who drove me to training, from my parents to the coaches. Now I want to earn my place.

Joining the first team

Shervashidze, who will wear number 20, has been training with the senior squad since January and made his bench debut in last month's cup tie. Head coach Levan Kapanadze says the club will introduce him gradually.

• Contract length: three years, with a club option for a fourth
• Squad number: 20
• Position: central midfield
• Academy appearances: 142 matches, 31 goals

A pathway that works

Shervashidze becomes the eighth academy graduate in the first-team squad, a milestone the board has long described as the measure of the project's success. "Every pupil who signs is proof that our door is open," said Nino Lomidze. "Dato earned this one himself."