THIS IS WHAT YOU SEE WITH A CLEAR 2020 VISION
Wotte’s blueprint for Scotland success has come to fruition bang on schedule
WOTTE A TALENT Gilmour is a graduate of schools for elite started by Mark (below) with Scot Gemmill
“In 2020, come and chat to me again about it.” Mark Wotte, January 2012.
The Dutchman, then SFA performance director, had just signed off on his multi- million pound vision for Scottish football. Seven performance schools dotted around the country. An intake of the most talented kids every year, getting top coaching combined with education, was one of the most important projects. The aim? To produce more top-level footballers and, crucially, have graduates in the Scotland squad for the 2020
European
Championship
Finals. It was a bold move that faced vocal opposition, particularly from certain clubs.
But Wotte, with experience of a similar system in Holland, was convinced that it was the way forward after years of failing to reach major tournaments.
He said back then: “When we’re in 2020 and we have four or five top players with a performance school history, we’ll have done a great job. That is the goal.”
Wotte didn’t stick around long enough to see it come to fruition. That was always unlikely.
But here we are, a year later due to Covid-19 but just weeks away from our first European finals in 25 years.
And to top it off, Steve Clarke has named two star pupils in his 26-man squad including Rangers’ ace Nathan Patterson who has already excelled in the Europa League and an Old Firm derby.
He’s joined by Chelsea starlet Billy Gilmour, who was on the bench last night for the Champions League Final in Porto against Manchester City.
Wotte is back in his homeland, enjoying a short sabbatical from the game.
But he’s well aware of Scotland’s progress and the tangible success of the performance schools so far.
He said if it was given time, we’d benefit. And surely now, no one can argue that he was wrong?
As well as Patterson and Gilmour, several graduates have already played in the top flight such as Ethan Erhahon (St Mirren), Dean Campbell( Aberdeen ), Logan Chalmers ( Dundee United), Stephen Kelly and Josh McPake ( Rangers) and Reegan Mimnaugh (Hamilton). So it’s definitely time to chat again with Wotte. And the 60 - yea r - old feels a sense of pride and satisfaction at finally seeing the emergence of top-level Scottish youngsters in the shape of Gilmour and Patterson.
He told Mai lSport : “I was involved before with performance schools in the Netherlands (LOOT schools) being an academy manager at ADO Den Haag.
“It’s a brilliant set-up, geared at adding 25 per cent to the elite player development of players in Scotland aged between 12 and 16.
“That window is crucial for the potential top players to develop ability, awareness, agility and attitude to their skills set.
“After that period it’s down to clubs in terms of how to manage that talent into first-team football.
“But I’m happy and not just to see two young lads in the Scottish national team for the Euros with a performance school background.
“It’s also that so many others are already playing first-team football in the Premiership at the age of 18 or older.
“It’s a no-brainer for me that in 40 weeks of the year if you give players five extra quality sessions – that’s 200 sessions of earlymorning practice to improve the individual – on top of the work at the club academies, it will pay off and increase the overall level.
“I’m happy for Scottish football that they’ve improved over the last few years and are now participating at a major finals.
“But credit has to go to people who started this journey, like
Stewart Regan, Craig Levein, Alistair Gray, Neil Mackintosh, George Craig, Mick Oliver, the performance school coaches, Malky Mackay, Scot Gemmill and others. A lso the f irst- team managers who have been brave enough to play youngsters – and last but not least Steve Clarke for qualifying for Euro 2020.
“For myself, I just enjoyed my time in Scotland, bringing different views and another philosophy.
“I tried to share my Dutch experiences in elite youth football and implement building blocks for a better future.”
But it wasn’t all plain sailing for Wotte at the SFA.
There was scepticism and criticism from different quarters, including clubs who wanted more money injected into thei r academies without an audit.
Wotte said: “Not everyone was convinced that we’d spent the money in the right way and started to question our strategy.
“Only because they wanted more money for their clubs to pay for their first-team set-up.
“It was short- sighted without any responsibility for the overall future of Scottish football.
“Stewart (former chief executive) and Alistair (strategy consultant) always backed me.
“But after three years, I felt we had to defend our work at a boardroom table with people who could – or would – not understand that continuity, strategically and financially, is key in elite youth development.
“Maybe I could have invested more time to convince them. I
always said in 2012, we were starting with 12-year- olds.
“So judge us in 2020 when they are 20 and should be knocking on the door of first-teams.
“I know ‘change management’ isn’t easy. You’ l l always f ind resistance especially if you have to make tough decisions for clubs.
“Some of the coaches at those clubs weren’t happy with a lot of the required changes.
“It was out of their comfort zone but I didn’t change my mind just for the sake of them.
“And ultimately the club are responsible for managing the talent into the first-team, with the co-operation of the head coach.
“Gilmour was taught the basics at Grange Performance School in Kilmarnock and the Rangers FC academy. That equipped him with the skills and mindset.
“But it was Frank Lampard at Chelsea who managed him into their first-team. And, in the end, that’s the most important step.
“I’m excited to see him and Patterson included in Steve’s squad for the Euros.
“Billy is very exciting to watch in big Chelsea games, impressive because at his age he’s so brave to always be demanding the ball.
“He’s always on the move, almost never giving it away.”
Since leaving Scotland, Wotte has worked at the Moroccan FA for four years, nurturing talented players such as Sevi l la’s Youssef En-Nesyri, Achraf Hakimi at Inter Milan, Noussair Mazraoui at Ajax and Schalke’s Hamza Mendyl.
But this summer, he’s hoping Clarke’s boys can reach the knockout phase of the Euros for the first time ever.
He said: “Scotland have a strong squad, there are some tough decisions to be made by Steve.
“They’ve been drawn in a very tough group but with a good start against Czech Republic, then taking points against Croatia or England, I hope they can make the last 16.”
I’m excited to see Billy and Nathan in squad for the Euros .. there are some tough decisions to be made by Steve Clarke