Middlesbrough Investing in Youth

Article by e-Middlesbrough Correspondent Stephen Davison

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Middlesbrough has long been a breeding ground for young football talent.

The famed academy, overseen by Dave Parnaby, regularly produces footballers who have gone on to play for the club, or gone on to play professional football elsewhere. The club was successful in gaining Category 1 status under the new Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP). Much credit must go to Dave Parnaby for the tireless work, knowledge and dedication to the vision at Rockliffe Park. Of course, credit must also go to the Chairman, Steve Gibson, for funding this project and having faith in his staff. For Boro, getting Cat 1 status under the EPPP was of the utmost importance.

The academy is the heartbeat of Boro. You would need to go back a long way to find a team or a squad that did not contain a home grown player. The academy is important in nurturing scholars to become first team players of the future. These players aid the team in playing for the club but also aid the club if they are sold on in the future. There are many examples of multi million pound sales from academy graduates over the years. If Cat 1 status had not been met, then Boro would have struggled to both attract and keep hold of its prized assets and potential stars of the future, which would have had a massive knock on effect in the future. The current squad consists of many former academy players, namely Jason Steele, Ben Gibson, Richie Smallwood, Rhys Williams, Luke Williams, Adam Reach, and there are more. These are young, hungry players that want to establish themselves in the first team having been with the club for many years.

Arguably the last crop of potential stars flattered to deceive. Many of them represented their respective countries at U21 level and below and looked to have bright futures. Not all players that come through the academy are going to make it as a professional footballer. Many are released every year, and even the select few that are given contracts may never fulfil the potential they once showed, this is just the nature of the beast. But the last crop had touted stars of the future and as yet, there is no stand out from that group. Many of them have subsequently been released.

Year upon year Boro have a buzz player hidden away from the public eye within the academy. Nothing excites fans more than when they hear stories of a potential world beater that is home grown; there is something which makes the connection with fan and club when we hear of a player that is deemed to have a bright future. It is this that can excite a fan more than a big signing; we love one of our own.

The latest player with such a reputation is Bryn Morris. The youngster has taken his first footsteps into football in the very best way possible. He has captained England at U16 and U17 level and has already represented England at U18 level. He is very much tipped as one for the future. He played for the first team in the FA Cup when only 16 against Hastings and made his league debut against Sheffield Wednesday when only 17, both times no looking out of place. Morris found himself part of the first team set up towards the end of last season and was a regular in Karanka’s match day 18. This could be a massive season for Morris; now 18, it would be good to see him progress and show the fans all that we have been reading about. A loan move looks unlikely as Karanka has all but ruled that out stating that he sees him being in and around the first team squad next season. For Morris the future could be very rosy indeed.

2 of our other youngsters have had a very successful summer indeed. Callum Cooke and Dael Fry both played their part in the England U17 squad that recently won the European Championships for that age group. They have both been tipped as other academy products with big futures and very much ones to keep an eye out for.

Ben Gibson has broken into the England U21 squad on the back of a very good season with the Boro. He too should come in for praise for his achievements. He looks like a player that will grow and grow with more experience and could become a fixture of the Boro defence for many years to come.

The loan market has been utilised very wisely by the club over the last season or so, many youngsters were sent out on loan to play some football and further learn their trade in new surrounds. Loans are very much a marmite subject, you either love them or hate them and they very much divide opinion, but for a youngster getting the opportunity to go to another club and see what ‘it’s all about’ is priceless. Youngsters at big clubs are guarded from the real world in some respects. Lower league clubs do not have the luxurious facilities and training establishments that many youngsters are accustomed to. The players rely on winning games for bonuses, this is their livelihood, they have mortgages and bills to pay, they are not the millionaires of top flight players and as such, any youngster coming in on loan needs to realise this and adapt that approach quickly. It is seeing the game from a totally different perspective which in turn shows them the importance of what they do.

Up and coming youngsters have been rewarded with new contracts by the club, namely Mark Kitching, David Atkinson, Adam Jackson and Ryan Brobbel. If they are good enough then they will surely be given an opportunity to be successful at the club in the future, as Boro have proven through the years, they will give youth a chance. Hopefully this select few and many more, will continue to progress and entertain the Riverside faithful for many years to come.

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