VARDY ACADEMY
Academy graduates unleashed as they take to the big stage
We head to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium as a host of NonLeague stars search for a dream
HOW much did the V9 Academy mean to its 42 handpicked recruits? Well, let’s ask Mark Ross.
“You’ve never seen anything like that first Tuesday,” laughs the former Stockport defender. “We were flying around, smashing into tackles, everyone trying to impress.
“The coaches had fitted us with heart monitors and they showed us the data. It turned out we’d run further than Premier League players!
“Next day we were shattered but then Rene Meulensteen comes in to do a session and suddenly everyone’s steaming round again. The intensity was amazing.”
Was it enough to earn a shot at the big time? Ross and the other hopefuls strutting their stuff at the Etihad complex now face a nervous wait.
Scouts and representatives from almost 100 clubs attended the five-day camp, which was organised by England star Jamie Vardy – using £100,000 of his own cash – in a bid to shine a light on NonLeague’s untapped talent. The net was cast far and wide. Curtis Coppen, the only Step 5 player selected, was spotted playing for North Shields on a park’s pitch in Dunston.
Zac McEachran – brother of ex-Chelsea starlet Josh – was plucked from Banbury United in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier League. Others, like Woking goalkeeper Brandon Hall, hailed from loftier climes.
Resources
Arriving at Man City’s gleaming training complex on Sunday afternoon, the 42 hopefuls were treated to a talk by Vardy himself.
The 30-year-old recalled his own rise from Stocksbridge Park Steels to playing for England in the European Championships, then handed over to an army of coaches, nutritionists and sports scientists. For players used to rutted mud baths and mouldy showers, five days in Sports City was paradise.
“I think I was actually sleeping in Sergio Aguero’s room,” smiles midfielder Courtney Richards, currently
without a club after leaving Torquay last month.
“They split us into three teams and ours got the first team quarters. My room was No.10 so it must have been his. At least that’s what I’m telling people!”
Amongst the elite-level coaches were former QPR boss Chris Ramsey, ex-Celtic star Alan Stubbs and former Middlesbrough full-back Robbie Stockdale, a first-team coach at Sunderland under Sam Allardyce and David Moyes.
In-house matches between the squad were mixed with training sessions, gym workouts, jacuzzis, game-analysis and presentations on fatigue and recovery. “You really saw the gulf in
class,” added Richards. “The resources players have at this level are endless and it helps everything.
“There was literally nothing you needed that you couldn’t get access to. It basically limits your excuses. The grass is flat. The balls are pumped. The food is prepared. It means you have no reason not to perform at your best.”
For Nuneaton playmaker Billy Daniels, the most eyeopening feature was a talk by Norwich City sporting director Stuart Webber.
Webber, 33, has spent the last two years in a similar role at Huddersfield Town and is widely credited with the appointment of David Wagner and several of the players that won promotion to the Premier League in May.
“We had a 45-minute chat with Stuart and it was an
amazing insight actually,” said the 22-year-old, who was playing his first football in three months after a spell out injured.
“The lengths these big clubs go to before actually signing players is crazy. They research their family, their past, even their social media posts. Literally no stone goes unturned when they’re seriously looking at someone. There’s an incredible amount of work behind the scenes.”
Strategy
Another special guest was Meulensteen, the Dutchman whose work alongside Alex Ferguson at Manchester United turned Cristiano Ronaldo from a sulky dilettante into a goalscoring phenomenon.
Just as he had with the Portuguese wonderkid, Meulensteen made the V9 recruits dismantle their game using the ‘four corners’ strategy. “It was simple, but really
effective,” added Daniels. “You basically write your name down on a piece of paper and divide it into four sections – tactical, physical, personality and technical.
“Then you write down your strong points, like pace or strength in the physical section. It’s about getting to know yourself better so you know what to improve on. Obviously we all think we know what we’re good at, but have we ever analysed it? Have we
tried to get better?”
Meulensteen then took a training session focusing on rhythm of play and how to change the pace and tempo of a match. Several interested parties attended those sessions, such as Accrington Stanley managman er John Colemand England C boss Paul Fairclough. According to Stockdale, they must have been impressed. “If you’re talking about these lads versus the elite level, there’s obvia ously a gap,” said the 37-year -old. “But for what we’re trying to do – get players into the EFL – they’re
more than good enough. I know there’s interest already in a few of the players.
“Danny Newton scored 29 goals for Tamworth last year so people will obviously come with half an eye on him. I think a few others are in that boat.
Camaraderie
“Will anything come out the other end? First and foremost, these scouts or managers have to see something that they like and that fits their club. After that, you never know.”
The vast majority of talent-spotters arrived on Friday morning as the three V9 squads faced their final test.
Some came from as far afield as Spain and the United States. Others made shorter trips from Manchester United and Liverpool.
All saw a wonderful advert for Non-League football on a lush, sun-kissed surface in the shadow of the Etihad Stadium.
First, a PFA select side of recently-released pros was beaten 1-0. Next up, Welsh champions TNS were dispatched 3-2 just weeks before they enter the Champions League qualifiers.
Victory was inspired by the pace and power of Brentwood’s wing wizard Lamar Reynolds, whose curling finish from 18 yards was arguably the goal of the day. Finally, a V9 side featuring players from the likes of Spennymoor Town, Carshalton Athletic and Whitby demolished Europa League qualifiers Bangor City 3-0. “Obviously, it’s not like a normal game because there are more important people watching,” said Daniels, part of the side that beat TNS. “You know you have to produce. “But as soon as the whistle goes, you get your first touch, your first pass – all the nerves go after that. It’s brilliant that everyone did themselves justice.” Despite being free to leave after their own match, every player stayed to support the other V9 squads, sitting in the small stand amid the scouts and agents. Richards, who played in the first match, was amongst them. “What’s great is that five days ago we were a bunch of strangers,” he added. “But we’ve gelled so quickly and we’ll definitely stay in touch.
“It’s funny, at the start of the week I just wanted to take on as much information as possible. But by Wednesday I was just desperate to play and impress the people who were coming.
“Were their nerves? Yeah, of course. You know what’s at stake. But I just thought ‘I know what I can do, I know I’m good enough’.”
And now? Organisers Lee Tucker and John Morris have spent the last few days ringing every scout and club representative who attended the camp. That feedback will go to the players or – hopefully – their representatives.
“Even if only one player gets a move, that’s a success,” says Stockdale. “But the real success is that every player enjoyed it.
“We preached at the start of the week that they’re all here to achieve an individual goal. But we also said that it couldn’t be done without the support of everyone else. The camaraderie between these lads has been fantastic.
“It would be great to see some of them get an opportunity but, if nothing else, they’ve experienced one of the best facilities in Europe and had elite-level coaching for a week. Who wouldn’t enjoy that?”