Our guest columnist looks at the rise of Siriki Dembele and Danny Newton
NO SOONER had I woken up from my midweek trip to Blundell Park than it was announced the star of the previous night’s show had been handed what could be the first of many individual awards.
Dembele is a familiar surname for football fans across the globe right now, but not too many will have seen Siriki.
The Grimsby Town winger was named EFL Young Player of the Month on Wednesday after a fast start to his maiden season in professional football.
Ever-present in Russell Slade’s starting line-up, the diminutive wide man has already chipped in with four goals in 17 appearances before the weekend.
His strike against Swindon in midweek proved to be the catalyst for Grimsby to claim their first victory since a 3-2 success at Cheltenham on October 17, a game in which Dembele scored twice.
On Tuesday, the 21-year-old was electric from the first whistle. As with a player fresh into the Football League, he possesses all the tricks and flicks you would expect from a player bursting with enthusiasm.
Potential
Along with the skill and natural speed, his tactical awareness impressed me. He didn’t neglect his defensive responsibilities and, after another one of his smart turns or step-overs, he invariably picked the right option.
Dembele’s route to the fulltime game has been unconventional, but maybe his arrival at this stage shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Signed by the Mariners after a year at the Nike Academy, Dembele is another talent who had to take a step back to fulfil that raw potential.
Based initially at Loughborough University and then at St George’s Park from 2013 until its closure last summer, the full time academy has served as a development programme for young players looking for a path back into professional football. Jorge Grant and Sean Clare, starring on loan at Notts County and Gillingham respectively, are further examples of players that spent time within the Nike system learning their trade away from the spotlight.
In the last three seasons, more than 30 per cent of the intake gained professional contracts and confirms that the academy has delivered plenty of success stories.
Exeter defender Jordan Tillson is another. He spent a year there after his release from Bristol Rovers.
“It was the best thing I could have done,” he said. “We had top coaches and I had the chance to play with players desperate to get back into the pro game. It created a really healthy competitive edge, which helped me become a better player.”
He has gone on to appear well over 50 times for Paul Tisdale’s side. With Nike going in a different direction, Jamie Vardy’s V9 Academy is the latest project to be getting plenty of exposure.
It’s a different set-up, an opportunity for players to put themselves in the shop window during a week of intense training and matches at Manchester City’s Eitihad campus.
Intense
The players are older in many cases and already playing at Non- League level, similar to Vardy’s situation before his ascent up the ladder.
This summer’s inaugural academy has seen a number of players already sign professional deals. Stevenage were a club to act quickly, signing the striker Danny Newton and winger Blair Turgott.
Newton’s debut campaign has yielded seven goals and he’s quickly become a fans’ favourite at the Lamex Stadium. Stevenage head of recruitment Leon Hunter says it’s a great idea for players looking for a route back to the Football League.
“We'd seen them for their respective clubs, but the Academy just firmed up what they were like on a day-to-day basis, their training habits and attitude etc. I was also able to get references from highlyrespected coaches.”
Newton was at Leicester as a youngster and was playing part-time for Tamworth last season while working in a factory making axles for lorries. More proof that there are gems in the Non-League game that can flourish in the EFL. Being let go by a club can be devastating at any stage. I can recall the upset on receiving a letter from Wimbledon as a 13-year-old to say my time at their school of excellence was over. I still speak to friends of mine who fell out of the game at 17-18 who I can't help think would have benefited from these options 20 years ago. I think the damage of rejection can be irreversible and the task of finding a new club tricky. Players develop at different speeds, and being given a second chance is the least that talented footballers should have. Grimsby and Stevenage look like benefiting heavily from taking a chance on two players causing quite a stir.