 Bodin began his career with Chelsea as a schoolboy, travelling via train to London Paddington station every weekend to train with the club.However, he left Stamford Bridge without making a first team appearance for the "Blues" and moved onto a brief spell with Newport County under manager Len Ashurst, rejecting interest from his hometown side Cardiff City after watching Newport draw 2–2 with German side Carl Zeiss Jena in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.As a young trainee player, Bodin's role at the club included tasks such as helping to paint the stands at the club's Somerton Park ground.