Academy & U21s

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Redcar and Marske, both on the North East coast if my memory serves me well.

[Exiled_Rover]

On 21/12/2025 at 10:21, KentExile said:

Litherland has a lot of plaudits in this section of the forum, a year older than Atcheson, but both have the potential to make it at Championship level (at least).  Both did ok in National League North loans last season also

Dlamini was a surprise selection, a winger (when we don't play with them) who has only played 6 times for the U21s this season, Joseph (an actual striker who has scored goals this season for the U21s) would have made more sense

I wonder why Powell doesn't get a look in as as LWB?

[KentExile]

Already looks an upgrade on De Neve, makes little sense to me why he wasn't at least on the bench in recent weeks with Hedges out

[KentExile]

14 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Redcar and Marske, both on the North East coast if my memory serves me well.

2 more, from a bit further afield, I think one of these was mentioned in another part of the forum a few weeks ago

 

[cesus]

Does Jake Batty play football at any level for us anymore? I remember him going to Stanley and playing quite a lot for them last season but haven't heard much this season.

[bluebruce]

19 minutes ago, cesus said:

Does Jake Batty play football at any level for us anymore? I remember him going to Stanley and playing quite a lot for them last season but haven't heard much this season.

Still on the books. 5 PL2 games for the U21s this season. Plus 2 PL Cup, 2 National League Cup.

[KentExile]

10 hours ago, cesus said:

Does Jake Batty play football at any level for us anymore? I remember him going to Stanley and playing quite a lot for them last season but haven't heard much this season.

 

10 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Still on the books. 5 PL2 games for the U21s this season. Plus 2 PL Cup, 2 National League Cup.

Although he had some injury issues, he did well when he played for Accrington in League 2 last season, mainly at left wing back, winning their young player of the season awards

You would have thought that would have meant that he should have either pushed on or be sold last summer, he was a given a 1 year deal with an option during last summer, but has looked disinterested in the few games he has featured for the U21s (9 games in all competitions) this year

Seems to have now been overtaken by Brandon Powell

Edited Sunday at 07:52 by KentExile

[chaddyrovers]

28 minutes ago, KentExile said:

 

Although he had some injury issues, he did well when he played for Accrington in League 2 last season, mainly at left wing back, winning their young player of the season awards

You would have thought that would have meant that he should have either pushed on or be sold last summer, he was a given a 1 year deal with an option during last summer, but has looked disinterested in the few games he has featured for the U21s (9 games in all competitions) this year

Seems to have now been surpassed by Brandon Powell

Pointless re-sign him

[KentExile]

7 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Pointless re-sign him

should have been loaned out again, silly decision not to do so

[chaddyrovers]

20 minutes ago, KentExile said:

should have been loaned out again, silly decision not to do so

I think he think we shouldn't have re-sign him and allow him to find a club where he would be first team starter, that was never going to be the case here

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

I think he think we shouldn't have re-sign him and allow him to find a club where he would be first team starter, that was never going to be the case here

I think that's a big assumption. He is still only 20 and used to be seen as a major prospect. Pratt has only made his breakthrough at 22.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, bluebruce said:

I think that's a big assumption. He is still only 20 and used to be seen as a major prospect. Pratt has only made his breakthrough at 22.

Just my thoughts on Batty. Said the same point in the summer. Tho you make a a valid fair point

[philipl]

We can easily forget that so many of our youngsters have lost a year or more to serious injuries. I tend not to look at the ages of our Academy graduates. Scott Wharton is still a promising youngster in my mind yet he is 28.

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, philipl said:

We can easily forget that so many of our youngsters have lost a year or more to serious injuries. I tend not to look at the ages of our Academy graduates. Scott Wharton is still a promising youngster in my mind yet he is 28.

Wow, 28, that surprised me. Thought he was about 26. Definitely not a promising youngster anymore though!

Amazing that he made his debut in 2016, and yet hasn't made 100 league appearances for us yet (98 according to Wiki). He has some 210 total career appearances, but injuries have definitely done a number on the poor lad. Hope his brother avoids that fate.

[riverholmes]

7 hours ago, philipl said:

We can easily forget that so many of our youngsters have lost a year or more to serious injuries. I tend not to look at the ages of our Academy graduates. Scott Wharton is still a promising youngster in my mind yet he is 28.

Sam Barnes, Isaac Whitehall and Lenni Rae Cirino are a few names who would likely have got a first team squad chance (not necessarily beyond that), but terrible injuries have all but ended their careers. It seems to be a huge problem for the U21s, though, not sure how it compares to previous eras.

[bluebruce]

5 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Wow, 28, that surprised me. Thought he was about 26. Definitely not a promising youngster anymore though!

Amazing that he made his debut in 2016, and yet hasn't made 100 league appearances for us yet (98 according to Wiki). He has some 210 total career appearances, but injuries have definitely done a number on the poor lad. Hope his brother avoids that fate.

To add to this, there is a solid chance that when Tronstad leaves us in the summer, he will have made more league appearances for us in his 3 years than Wharton will have made in nearly 10.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Do we actually have any young strikers who are better than Axel Henriksson up top? And by ‘better,’ I literally just mean someone who can get into decent positions and at least take a shot at goal. I’m not even asking for someone who can score, which tells you how low the bar currently is 🤣

[KentExile]

18 minutes ago, Tim Southampton Rover said:

Do we actually have any young strikers who are better than Axel Henriksson up top? And by ‘better,’ I literally just mean someone who can get into decent positions and at least take a shot at goal. I’m not even asking for someone who can score, which tells you how low the bar currently is 🤣

Valentin Joseph - big powerful 18 year old, striker with 11 goals in 17 games this season

Absolute madness that he is not on the bench given our lack of options

Edited 1 hour ago by KentExile

[Tim Southampton Rover]

After yesterday's game, I'm guessing we'll see him on the bench next game. 

[cesus]

26 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Valentin Joseph - big powerful 18 year old, striker with 11 goals in 17 games this season

Absolute madness that he is not on the bench given our lack of options

My knowledge of the youth system isnt great, so it really frustrates me that there is a player as you describe who could have offered us something different last night even for the last 10 minutes. 

[KentExile]

33 minutes ago, cesus said:

My knowledge of the youth system isnt great, so it really frustrates me that there is a player as you describe who could have offered us something different last night even for the last 10 minutes. 

Not the best clips, but you can see the size of him here, and its against the dingles, so that's a bonus

 

His brother Vincent is apparently very good too, U16 on the books a Liverpool and wanted by Bayern

[Comfortably numb]

It's been interesting to see someone like Diamini force his way into the managers thinking, a player who has not been getting the exposure of the likes of Joseph, Tyjon, Higgins and the like from academy regulars.

Presumably, he has impressed in training and caught the managers eye, unlike Gueye who seems to have thrown his toys out of the pram