Rzar
Bob McKinlay
Look at John Bostock
If he didn't get stupidly hyped up as a 15 year old, people would look back on his career and say he had a decent career. Instead he is known as the failed wonderkid.
Academy Development Thread - sponsored by BryanRoy!
- Thread starter Kelvin's Local
- Start date
If he didn't get stupidly hyped up as a 15 year old, people would look back on his career and say he had a decent career. Instead he is known as the failed wonderkid.
Statto
Free Kick Specialist
Could probably include Jermaine Pennant in there even though he got a fairly big move from Notts to Arsenal at what, 15/16, he didn't really do much there nor did he really seem like a standout player of his age group (which he clearly was). But he did have a decent career unlike some of the names on Master Yates' list.
Ethan Dekel is the one who really surprised me, he was part of the Johnson/Mighten age group I think, and was as highly rated as the others but never really got near first team here and went off to play MLS. He scored a few decent long range goals in the academy (despite being a smaller player) so he could probably have progressed to L1 or maybe CH level but for some reason it didn't happen.
HBB
John Robertson
There's an interesting parallel with intellectual and musical prodigies. Most, if not all prodigies, if they do some breakthrough work or are outstanding at a very early age, have basically already peaked. It's akin to the warning you get on financial products that past performance does not guarantee future success. Some studies suggest only 3% of so called child prodigies continue to excel as they mature.
The causes for this non-linear progression are often cited as being due to excessive pressure, lack of social development, or the inability to handle criticism once early stardom has faded. Others suggest that there is just a natural levelling up and though they remain potential high achievers they plateau and are just "caught up" with and often surpassed by others on a more "natural" growth curve.
As with all things it'll be a mixture of the two for sure.
The causes for this non-linear progression are often cited as being due to excessive pressure, lack of social development, or the inability to handle criticism once early stardom has faded. Others suggest that there is just a natural levelling up and though they remain potential high achievers they plateau and are just "caught up" with and often surpassed by others on a more "natural" growth curve.
As with all things it'll be a mixture of the two for sure.
Hawkeye1947
Viv Anderson
Patrick Bamford. I used to go watch him play at the academy and score 45+ a season. We had to sell him to Chelsea….. now at the Blades
donny
Jack Burkitt
Lazy journalism, we're more likely to see Kalum Thompson or Zyan Blake than Azae Bonnick. Everyone loves a story, and, if Bonnick does come into first team contention this season, it definitely will be one, however, he'll probably have the majority of the season with the B/U21s.
donny
Jack Burkitt
Will Swan, who has scored for Bradford in the cup this afternoon, and Aaron Donnelly, now on loan at Dunfermline were also highly rated.
Mist from the Trent
A. Trialist
I imagine he starts the season with the under 18s.
Steve Stone’s Brylcreem
Viv Anderson
The list of famous “what happened to that wonderkid” is almost endless - see any youth World Cup winning squads. Not to mention the ones who aren’t famous, “that could’ve been me apart from…”
For those of a certain vintage, Sonny Pike. In pre-internet days (yes, the dark ages), aided by Fantasy Football League (the tv show) he was very much touted as being a superstar.
Worth a Google and a read of his story for those interested. There’s recent articles and old ones as well which is interesting, seeing how the story and journalists take on it has shifted in the last 10-15 years.
For those of a certain vintage, Sonny Pike. In pre-internet days (yes, the dark ages), aided by Fantasy Football League (the tv show) he was very much touted as being a superstar.
Worth a Google and a read of his story for those interested. There’s recent articles and old ones as well which is interesting, seeing how the story and journalists take on it has shifted in the last 10-15 years.
Yates in the Fjord
First Team Squad
And don’t forget the CM/FM wonderkid legends, like Cherno Samba for instance
Statto
Free Kick Specialist
Javier Saviola for a while as well
donny
Jack Burkitt
He will do, hes currently out in China with the 18s in a tournament.
A great bunch of lads!
Master Yates
Stuart Pearce
My brother played against him when they were kids. I think this was after he had been at Ajax. Was very good but knew it.
Brother's mate played against him in South London - he had like a full beard at 13 and scored about 5 apparently. Was absolutely unstoppable at that age.
Notcher
Ian Bowyer
We're about to sign 16 year old twins Joseph and Jubilee Ntege from Reading. They've been putting up serious numbers.
I've been asked about our academy for over the last 18 months and I said that my concern has been that the genuine talent pile at that point would probably take 3 or 4 years to come through and that was a concern. The club have obviously been aware of this with the same conclusion and have been doing a lot of back filling.
I've been asked about our academy for over the last 18 months and I said that my concern has been that the genuine talent pile at that point would probably take 3 or 4 years to come through and that was a concern. The club have obviously been aware of this with the same conclusion and have been doing a lot of back filling.
donny
Jack Burkitt
Saw them mentioned about 6 weeks ago, and knew they'd been with us on trial, but it went all quiet after that.
Master Yates
Stuart Pearce
Quite a bit of hype around these two isn’t there? I wonder if Perchy had a hand in it at all?
Like you I have wanted us to be more aggressive in the market for academy players. The comparative price of players is tiny and with Brexit, it’s impossible to recruit abroad until 18 so good to see us recruiting from clubs lower down. Now we are the big shark PL team I want to see us bullying EFL teams like we had to put up with for years. We can start with Leicester.
Canadian_red
Jack Burkitt
Both Swedish u16 internationals.
Mist from the Trent
A. Trialist
We are working really hard to buy players for the YDP age groups. There is some serious talent in the FDP age groups as well. Like you say, they will take a few years to come though.
Notcher
Ian Bowyer
Yeah it really appears that there's a lot of graft going on to bridge that gap. Obviously the promotion to the PL significantly shifted things for the academy as it became clear those prospects for Championship football would unfortunately become now fall below the standard of what is required to progress to the first team. That's obviously not the fault of anyone at the club, it's just the sudden shift to elite level.
Think it's probably also a factor that the Academy only secured Category 1 status the summer before we went up. So regardless of what the first team were doing, even clubs like Derby could offer something we couldn't and make themselves a more attractive destination.
And I can't believe I just wrote those words.
Mist from the Trent
A. Trialist
Need to still be able to produce players that end up in the football league as well. J McDonnell got us some decent cash for a academy player.
It's a shame Hemmings decided to leave and sign for Villa, he could end up being a Premier League midfielder.
Definitely: let’s gut Leicester like the rotten fish they are.
MansfieldRed
Jack Burkitt
Just watched the u 21s draw against Gateshead then win the penalty shootout.
Nothing to get excited about to be honest.
Derbys kids got thumped 6-2
It's really just experience for the young-uns in a "competitive" match. It, and the Piss-Pot Cup (whatever it is called) are decent ideas in principle.