Doesn’t surprise me he’s signed for a league club, I thought the lad looked quite decent just a bit raw but with games he will become a very decent player. Could be one we regret letting go IMO.
That's a shame. That's one thing I'd like the club to improve upon. We tend to invest a lot of time and funds for no financial return.
Don't think this is particularly true mate, most of the youth squad don't turn pro, or perhaps only find time in the non-leagues. I think we've done quite well with our academy. It's harder & harder when big clubs offer 13/14 year old kids thousands & thousands a week and buy their parents a new house to sign a contract. I actually think for a smaller club we've done fine... Could be worse, could be Chelsea!
It happens with all clubs, not all of the Scholars will get a contract at the end of their term. We’ve just recently signed one who’s been released by Burnley
I totally understand that the majority of our youth players don't make the grade but when we're signing 17 /18 year old's then that needs to be on a targeted and cost effective basis with a real aim of these players making the first team squad.
Stones, Marsh, Bree, Holgate, Digby, Oates, Rose, Butterfield(ish), Wolfe, all gone on to have good league careers - now Jalo, Dyer, Flavell, Winfield, Nejman, Chapman etc all signing new contracts. It's a shame we had to sell some so soon, but that's what happens when you support a club like Barnsley
I would imagine that's the case. Why else would we sign someone if we didn't think they had potential to make the grade?
Again, whilst I agree with your point about maximising our academy, I think it's fine we bring in youth who have been released from other - it will be cost effective, cheap as chips, and we may always drop on a very decent player. We wouldn't sign someone without the ultimate goal of them making it to the first team
How many 17 year olds have we signed for the U23s that have become regulars in the first team? Genuinely can't think of many if any.
You're totally missing my point, all those players came through our youth which I've got no problem with, I'm talking about players that we sign as 17/18yr olds for our U23s
I'd rather sign 18/19 year olds that are good enough to go into the first team squad and let our own youth players progress into the u23s .
