Tommy Conway had just celebrated his ninth birthday when Nahki Wells scored his first goal in the Football League during his debut season for Bradford.
Since then, the experienced frontman has won two promotions with Bradford and Huddersfield, played in League One, the Championship and the Premier League across five different clubs with 121 goals to boot.
It took nine years for their worlds to collide when Wells agreed a deal to join the Robins during the January 2020 transfer window. By this point, Conway was already part of the furniture in the academy having joined City at the age of seven - just one of the many thousands hoping not to be chewed up and spat out by the ruthless nature of trying to turn professional.
A glimpse into the future is likely to see Conway and his young strike partner Sam Bell leading the line for City in the years to come, but for now, Nigel Pearson is opting to go with the tried and tested blend of youth and experience to encourage the striker's progression.
Throughout pre-season, the manager was keen to play Conway alongside Wells with the duo sharing pitch minutes against Portsmouth, Exeter and Bournemouth. He impressed with three goals over five appearances, two of which came against Exeter and the first against Cheltenham.
Wednesday's night victory over Coventry, in which he scored twice, was another clear piece of evidence that City have a gem on their hands. Wells has to take credit for his second strike having dispossessed his man before finding his strike partner who did the rest.
It's a partnership that Pearson is eager to utilise with the duo also playing alongside each other on occasions for the Under-23s last season. The duo provide pace in attack, are able to run the channels and have defenders facing their own goal with their dynamic movement in the final third.
For Conway, it's a partnership that has not just been built with an understanding on the pitch, but also a friendship off it.
He said: "I think we grew close last year when we were on the bench together. We played a number of Under-23 games together and we got to know each other on a personal level too as well as playing on the pitch.
"We've built that partnership up and obviously playing in pre-season we've helped each other score goals and we just enjoy each other's company on the pitch.
"We work off each other well and we're always talking off the pitch so I don't think there's anyone better for me to learn off, both on the pitch and off it."
It was only two years ago when Conway was lining up for National League South side Bath City on loan following another previous temporary stint with Yate Town. As Pearson mentioned after the victory over Coventry, his progression to the first team has been a reward for his desire to succeed.
But he has brilliant mentors around him. With Chris Martin's experience, Andi Weimann's goals and Antoine Semenyo's ability, Conway has his bases covered when it comes to learning from his team-mates.
"Learning every day from those, there's nothing better for me and my development," he added.
"Those players, as the gaffers' mentioned before, there's no better coach than the players that you play with.
"They've got the experience, they've played in the league, they've played in the Championship and they've scored so many goals.
"Ultimately they know where the net is, they know where to be at the right time and for me to learn from, there's no better players for me. All I want to do is work hard on the pitch and try and do my thing which is to score goals.
"I think were in a really good place as a squad behind closed doors as well, everyone is so together. Much more so than last year, for me personally."
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