Bolton have signed Kingsbridge youngster Mark Ellis on a one-year professional contract.

The 18-year-old central defender was snapped up by the Premiership club from Exeter City in 2005 for an initial fee of £90,000.

Four further installments of £100,000 will follow if and when he makes 10, 20, 30 and 40 first-team appearances for Sam Allardyce’s side.

Conference club Exeter will receive a further £10,000 if Ellis plays for the England Under-21s and an additional £100,000 if he makes a full England appearance.

The Grecians are also entitled to a 15 per cent sell-on fee.

Mark Ellis: "Hopefully next season I will carry on playing for Bolton's reserves and go out on loan for a taste of first-team football."

Ellis spent three years with Exeter's youth academy but moved to the Reebok Stadium after a successful trial.

He told the Exeter Echo: "Hopefully next season I will carry on playing for Bolton's reserves and go out on loan for a taste of first-team football.

"I haven't any regrets about leaving Exeter, I moved on to develop my career but they helped me get where I am now."

Ellis, a former Kingsbridge Community College student, has started more than 15 times for the Bolton reserves this season.

But Ellis has recently faced strong competition for a starting place in the second string from veteran Spanish international defender Cesar Martin.

The 29-year-old, who joined Bolton from Levante UD in February, has been capped nine times by his country.

Martin has also played for Real Oviedo and Deportivo La Coruna.