Academy star set for head to head with Dale
ROCHDALE will be targeting their first win of the League One season today when they take on Joey Barton’s Fleetwood Town at the Crown Oil Arena.
Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions, home supporters will not get the opportunity to watch the clash first hand, which sees the return of fans’ favourite Callum Camps to his old stomping ground.
Camps is one of the Dale Academy’s greatest success stories and cut his teeth playing alongside manager Brian BarryMurphy.
And BBM is hoping the next Callum Camps is already emerging from the squad which drew 0-0 with Manchester United’s Under 21s in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday evening.
Though the Reds won a bonus point for triumphing in a penalty shoot-out, Dale secured a point from the highly entertaining draw and now sit second in Group B ahead of their final group stage game against Salford City later this month.
Several young players, including Ethan Brierley, Harrison Hopper and Fabio Tavares lined up against United and the boss was delighted to see them thrive alongside experienced players such as Matty Done, Jimmy Keohane and Jim McNulty.
It’s a similar pathway Camps followed when he came under the on-field tutelage of BBM a few years ago.
“These cup competitions, especially for us over the last few years, have arguably been some of my best memories because of the players that we’ve introduced into this competition, point of view than the end combined with result, which was a draw the response of the older for us, because I’m thorough players to go alongside pleased with the way them,” said the Dale boss. we’re progressing as a
“That was never better group. illustrated than Tuesday, “I don’t want to get carried in what I thought it was a away by the results brilliant night for us. because last season we
“One of the most satisfying had amazing success in and one of the most the competition and rich parts of the club is didn’t make it through to when you see those young the knockout phases, so it lads combining with the would be great because it older lads. The response would give us another you get from Jim McNulty, chance to do this all over Matty Done, Matty Lund, again and it gives the guys Stephen Dooley is brilliant a great feeling of playing - they just want to be against different opposition. around those young players. “We haven’t played
“I was that guy a few Manchester United in this years ago and I was very competition in my time lucky to do it, and I still here, so to get them was look back on it as being something different and one of the most satisfying very exciting. To dominate times of my career when them so much and create you play with guys like so many chances against Jamie Allen, Callum them was testament to the Camps and Andy Cannon work the players are putting and you’re part of their in. journey. It’s such a significant “The opposition went to competition for us as Salford and beat them 6-0 a club and so satisfying to in the last round of games be part of it.” so they maybe thought
BBM made several that they were going to be changes to his side in in for something similar, midweek with one eye on but our team was equally this weekend’s visit of as young in terms of the Fleetwood – and he was personnel. pleased with how the “To see the likes of Harrison squad coped. Hopper, Ethan Brierley
“When you’re making and Kacper changes it takes the lads a Mialkowski go up against little bit of time to get their age bracket and even adjusted to the relationships guys who are slightly older within the pitch, but is a good test of where I thought when we had they are as young players. good spells of possession “To see them dominate in the first half we were and get the upper hand so the dominant force in much as the second half terms of chances created, progressed, both technically replace his friend and fellow particularly those two environment is satisfying which is good for us. and physically, is testament 16-year-old Ethan Brierley. together, who are very for us all. It’s testament to
“In the second half I to the progress hard working local guys those ones who probably thought there was only that those guys are making “Ethan has probably who have been in the go under the radar in the one team who was going and is a huge part of taken a lot of headlines Academy with Lee Riley early stages of the Academy to win it. I was confident what we want to be and because of his prominence and Ryan Ball [former but then come to the fore as that we’d create chances what we’re doing as a in the squad at the Academy Goalkeeping they develop later on in and we did. I was confident club.” moment but Kacper has Coach] who has now left their careers. It probably that we would score, Kacper Mialkowski been working very, very the Academy. [Lee and gives huge hope to those but we did everything but. made his Dale debut on hard in pre-season and, Ryan] played significant guys who are a little bit But there’s so much more Tuesday, coming on as a again, there’s a characteristic parts in their progress and behind in the earlier stages to speak about from my second half substitute to about those guys, and to see them come into our but catch up as they go.”
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