‘Project Brave may not be wanted, but it is needed’

Chairman says Club Academy Scotland is not working for youngsters

on a regular basis for Bournemouth in the Barclays Premier League down in England, emerged at his home town club.

But for Milne that is a disappointing return for their annual investment. He is optimistic the proposals contained in Project Brave – not least reintroducing the reserve league and increasing the number of players who are farmed out to lower league clubs on loan – will address the flaws in the pro-youth set-up.

“Aberdeen had a representative on the SFA working group,” said Milne. “We are very much behind the bulk of what has come out of it. We like, for example, the idea to going back to reserve football – providing it is used in the right way and is seen as a platform.

“Everyone recognises the real problem. In the last 10 or 15 years we have made a lot of strides forward in terms of bringing in youngsters and getting them through to 15 or 16. The bit we have struggled with is the 17 to 21.

“We have seen it at our own club in the last three years. The gap is widening in terms of players being ready to move into first team football.

“We are making huge strides in terms of first team performance. We have made it difficult to sustain that performance going forward. It is more difficult for inexperienced youngsters to get a regular game.

“We firmly believe this is where the loan system can have an impact. It almost needs to become a fixed part of every player’s apprenticeship.

“They experience living away from home, having to find their feet with new people, training and playing alongside hardened, experienced professionals. That is not just going to have a real impact on their footballing abilities it is going to help them grow up. It will be character building.”

Milne added: “I think that is the big bit that is missing. Our development league is young lads playing against young lads in a very cosy environment. I think the senior clubs currently bring these young lads up in an unreal environment.

“We do too much for them, their exposure to life is too narrow. We hear all the time managers saying we are not getting leaders coming through, there are no potential captains emerging.

“We have to make a commitment to the loan system. If these clubs get a player he is there for the season. He becomes an integral part of their squad, their team. We have to move away from this habit of saying: ‘We’ll take him back’. We have to be fair to the other club as well.”