Academy looking for characters as well as just players
ROBINSON ENJOYING THE PROGRESS OF YOUNGSTERS
CIARAN Gilligan’s breakthrough into the Burton Albion first team squad last season was the latest success story for the Brewers’ academy.
Gilligan made 22 appearances last season in his first year as a professional after impressing in pre-season and went into the summer joining a training camp with the Republic of Ireland’s Under-19s.
Academy manager Dan Robinson has been talking about the academy’s success as clubs all over the country highlighted their youth work as part of the
EFL Youth Development Week.
Further success last season came when goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-lowe made his first-team debut, making three appearances, having been sold to Chelsea and loaned back to the Brewers.
The 18-year-old was also called up to the England Under-18 squad for a training camp Ben Fox, Reece Hutchinson, Joe Sbarra, Marcus Harness, Matty Palmer, Marcus Dinanga and Mark Shelton all featured in full-time football, whether for the Brewers or clubs they had moved on to, last season.
More than anything, Robinson puts this success down to the attitude, work ethic and character of the young players coming through in recent years.
“The ethos of the club is that we develop the character aspect as much as the football side,” said Robinson.
“The players have to be the kind of players that other players and managers want to work with. They have got to have a great work ethic. “They have had that and they are resilient young men.
“That group of recent players has done so well. The ultimate goal of our Academy is to produce players for the first team and, if they do that, they can progress even further. “Look at Teddy Sharman-lowe. He gets to sign for one of the biggest clubs in the world, who have just won the Champions League, and it shows the work we do with our players can help them to the very top of the game.
“We have had internationals in Ciaran Gilligan, who was recently with Ireland’s Under-19s, John-joe Power has been with Ireland’s youth groups and Jakub Niemczyk has played with Poland and became our club’s youngest-ever player this season.
“He’s unfortunately had an ACL injury since October but he’ll be back in preseason.
“And because we’re only 10 years old as an Academy, we’re in our early stages still.
“For such a young academy, one of our hopes is that in the not too distant future one of our graduates is playing for his country’s first team.
“Our football philosophy is about developing adaptable players too, who can adapt to different tactical styles and philosophies, which is a big part of what we do. We don’t pigeonhole them.
“We also have to mention the work that Burton Albion Community Trust do with such young players in their football centres. They have supported us hugely.”