What should I do? ACADEMY

My 9yr old son has just had trials for Man Utd despite being accepted, Man Utd had a full quota of goalkeepers so recommended him to Huddersfield where we went yesterday and was again successful. (Man utd want to keep an eye on him and how he develops). I contacted Barnsley who said if he has been successful at Huddersfield then let him go there, I wanted him to go to Barnsley for obvious reasons, probably selfish ones too, but my lad is also a fan so it would be a dream too.

At the Man Utd trials for his age there were 37 trialists for goalkeepers and they got it down to 5, One was Spanish, and two English and two other nationalities not sure of. It was a tremendous day smoothly run and the facilities were second to none. I don't like Manchester Utd as a club but it was good an opportunity for my lad. I am dissappointed that Barnsley couldn't give him an opportunity... Does this show a lack of professionalism or is it just me? To see my lad in the future run out in the colours of any other club apart from Barnsley will make me a proud man but with a tinge of wish he was in front of the Ponte!!!

 

its a tough one, you want your lad to play your club, but the club dont really fetch the youngsters through, were as on the other hand huddersfield over last few years have given a lot of youngsters a chance, so id go with your head and not with your heart.

 

Derby County

Have some of the best facilities for bringing goalkeepers through. I was on the books there for a couple of seasons as a goalkeeper, but then I discovered women and alcohol. At the time, Lee Grant and Andy Oakes were coming through, so I really never stood a chance.

Seriously though, get in touch with Derby.

 

It would seem a sensible policy for the Barnsley academy to take an interest in youngsters who have been successful and made the cut elsewhere. Did they give you any explanation as to why they wouldn't want to trial him?

 

There were no planned trials, thats it and that if he has been accepted elsewhere then it was better to get in than be potentially turned away by Barnsley.

 

My youngster is with Leeds they have a great set up,

 

My lad would love a trial as a keeper. He is 12 nearly 13 and 6ft. Anyone got any idea who i would contact for trials around s yorks area? Ideally Barnsley but he goes to soccer schools at DVC and despite getting good comments nothing happens. I don`t know if he ain`t good enough or Barnsley arn`t bothered.

 

dont think you can ring a club up and ask for a trial, they come and watch them play for there local sides and decide wether to trial them or not.

 

Liverpool and Everton do lots of coaching in schools

Main aim is to pick up kids at an early age ... one of the lads in my class is 9 and is going up to Everton's training ground after one of these sessions.

 

RE: Well if Barnsley say they arent interested

dont like saying but i had a year at barnsley academy got released, and then had a year at Wednesday , but at that age just wanted to be a proffesional

 

keep him at huddersfield, i mean dont jepordise ya sons chances because of he slefish reasons my boss is a Blunt and his son is on the books at barnsley

 

Huddersfield have an excellent reputation especially with bringing on keepers. They have a far ranging scouting network too so if they want your lad then that's good. Be careful though, they'll tell you that he's the bees knees but will drop him like a stone if someone better comes along.Use it as a method of getting good training for the lad but don't let him (or you!) get carried away by it all.

 

Save yourself a fortune in travelling and bring him back at u13s level, that gives him 3 years to prove himself before he is signed on properly.A lot of proffesional coaches now believe that it is too young at your sons age to be travelling a 200 mile round trip to play half a game(teams quite often take 2 keepers,half a game each)its up to you.